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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27400825">Do Not Cry For Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Covenmouse/pseuds/Covenmouse'>Covenmouse</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heavenly_Pearl/pseuds/Heavenly_Pearl'>Heavenly_Pearl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime &amp; Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Assassination Attempt(s), Bibliophiles, Bisexual Zoisite, Blood and Violence, Daddy Issues, Death, Depression, Drama, Drowning, F/M, First Kiss, Forbidden Love, Friends With Benefits, Golden Kingdom, Hurt/Comfort, Ice Skating, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Mystery, Poisoning, Politics, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Canon, Romance, Seduction, Senshi &amp; Shitennou Mini Bang 2020, Sex, Silver Millennium, Suicidal Thoughts, Tragedy, War, Youma Battle, bisexual Kunzite</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:02:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>36,080</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27400825</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Covenmouse/pseuds/Covenmouse, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heavenly_Pearl/pseuds/Heavenly_Pearl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>General Zacharias Zoisite swore off romance after a near-death experience on the battlefield made him realize he didn’t want to leave anyone behind to grieve for him. When King Oberon of the Golden Kingdom falls victim to a possible assassination attempt, however, he takes it upon himself to seduce the beautiful and brilliant Princess Hermione of Mercury for some answers, finding his resolve weakening even as a nefarious plot threatens to turn them into enemies.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aino Minako/Kunzite, Kunzite/Zoisite, Mizuno Ami/Zoisite, Prince Endymion/Princess Serenity</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>62</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Senshi &amp; Shitennou Mini Bang 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Here's a handy name guide!</p><p>Mercury – Hermione<br/>Venus – Ishtar<br/>Mars – Bellona<br/>Jupiter – Zenobia<br/>Neptune – Thalassa<br/>Uranus – Celestine</p><p>Zoisite – Zacharias<br/>Kunzite – Khalil<br/>Nephrite – Nicomedes<br/>Jadeite - Julian</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zoisite slipped into King Oberon's sitting room as quietly as he could. Prince Endymion, having refused to return to his own bedchambers until he knew his father’s condition had stabilized, had fallen asleep in an oversized velvet armchair in front of the fire, a knitted blanket placed over him. Not wanting to disturb his slumber, Zoisite joined Kunzite, the current guard on duty, on the couch.</p><p>“Any word from the doctor yet?” he asked in a low voice.</p><p>Kunzite shook his head. “Dr. Caduceus has been running tests all night, but he hasn’t found anything conclusive yet. His Highness finally passed out about an hour ago out of pure exhaustion.”</p><p>Taking note of the dark circles underneath Kunzite’s eyes, Zoisite frowned. “He’s not the only one who’s tired,” he said, taking away the half-drunk cup of coffee in Kunzite’s hands. “It’s been a long night. You should try to get some rest, too. We still have a few hours before we’re supposed to leave for the Moon.” <em>If</em> they were still going. With King Oberon currently out of commission, everything was up in the air in regards to talk of an alliance between the Golden Kingdom and Silver Millennium. “I can watch over the prince.”</p><p>“Maybe you’re right.” Blinking, Kunzite pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can barely see straight.”</p><p>But just as he stood to leave, Dr Caduceus entered the sitting room from King Oberon's bedchambers. “How is he?” Kunzite asked.</p><p>Zoisite’s question wasn’t far behind. “Have you been able to determine why the king collapsed last night?”</p><p>“I’d prefer to speak with Prince Endymion first,” the doctor said, pushing his spectacles up his nose. “Has the prince returned to his rooms?”</p><p>“Zach.” Kunzite jerked his head toward the fireplace.</p><p>Zoisite walked over to the armchair and lightly shook Endymion’s shoulder. “Dimi, wake up,” he said, using the prince’s affectionate nickname from childhood. “The doctor wants to talk to you.”</p><p>Endymion stirred awake, the blanket falling from around his shoulders to his lap. “What?” he mumbled as he rubbed the corner of his eye, his mind still in a fog.</p><p>“Dr. Caduceus would like –”</p><p>At the mention of the doctor’s name, Endymion tossed the blanket aside and sprung to his feet. “How is my father?” he demanded to know. “Has something happened? Is he going to be okay?”</p><p>“His Majesty is currently resting, sire,” Dr. Caduceus said. “His condition has improved from last night.”</p><p>Endymion’s shoulders slackened, visibly relieved. “Praise Terra,” he muttered to himself. “Do you know what happened? Is he sick? Was he poisoned?”</p><p>“I’ve performed a multitude of tests on King Oberon. None have indicated anything out of the ordinary. There’s no evidence of foul play or underlying disease. In my professional opinion, your father is merely suffering from a severe case of exhaustion, brought on from overwork. After a few days of bed rest, he should be back on his feet.”</p><p>Zoisite scoffed, finding that hard to believe. “Exhaustion?” Far be it for him to doubt the medical expertise of the king’s longtime physician, widely regarded as the best doctor on Earth, but King Oberon had shown no signs of physical weakness until he had suddenly collapsed the night before after drinking a single glass of wine. That simply wasn’t normal for a man who had been in seemingly good health. “Are you certain that’s all it is, doctor?”</p><p>Beside him, Kunzite reached for his wrist. “Zacharias...” he lightly scolded.</p><p>Endymion ignored them both. “I’d like to see him,” he said to Dr. Caduceus.</p><p>“Well, your father did ask to speak with you...” the doctor said, although he seemed reluctant to give permission. “A brief visit should be fine, I suppose. Afterwards, though, I would like for him to get some sleep and focus on regaining his strength. He’s still quite weak.”</p><p>“A few minutes will be sufficient,” Kunzite said, speaking for the prince. “Thank you, Dr. Caduceus.”</p><p>The doctor bowed and excused himself, leaving the suite to check on his other patients in the palace infirmary. Once he was gone, Endymion opened the door to his father’s bedchambers and motioned for Zoisite and Kunzite to follow him.</p><p>As a man who had always seemed larger than life to Zoisite, the sight of King Oberon laying in the center of his majestic bed, his pale skin a stark contrast against the crimson color of his linens, took him off-guard. Dr. Caduceus said the king’s condition had improved from last night, but he saw little sign of that.</p><p>“Endymion...?” King Oberon croaked, slowly turning his head to the side when he heard them enter.</p><p>“Father!” Endymion rushed over to his bedside. “I’m here.”</p><p>Zoisite and Kunzite stayed back, bowing, as decorum dictated.</p><p>The king struggled to sit up, Endymion grabbing a spare pillow and placing it behind his shoulders to help prop him up.</p><p>“How are you feeling?” Endymion asked, taking a seat on the edge of the mattress. “You gave us quite a fright last night, but Dr. Caduceus says you’re going to be fine.”</p><p>“Yes, I’ve been working too much as of late, apparently,” King Oberon said, letting out a feeble chuckle. “He’s forbidden me from traveling to the Moon for the summit.”</p><p>Endymion took his bedridden father’s hand in his. “The most important thing is your health. Don’t worry about the summit; we can postpone it until you’re well again.”</p><p>King Oberon shook his head. “You must go in my place.”</p><p>“What? Surely, you don’t –”</p><p>“This meeting with the Lunarians is too important. We cannot risk offending them by cancelling at the last moment.”</p><p>“But, Father –”</p><p>“I will hear no argument on this,” the king said in a stronger voice, cutting off Endymion’s protest. “You know how vital this is, how –” He stopped to catch his breath. “I might be bedridden for now, but I am still your king. You must go.”</p><p>“I – I don’t feel right about leaving you like this.”</p><p>“I’m going to be fine, my so–” King Oberon broke off into a weak cough, shaking his head when Zoisite moved to pour him a glass of water from the carafe on his nightstand. It was several more labored breaths before he could continue. “You heard Dr. Caduceus. All I need is rest. There’s no need for you to stay at my bedside. I have others happy to care for me, and they’ll do more than simply fret and defy.”</p><p>“But I don’t know if I can do this without you,” Endymion said, bringing the king’s hand to his chest. “I’m not ready.”</p><p>King Oberon pulled his hand out of Endymion’s grasp, reaching up to cup his son’s cheek. Even that simple movement seemed to require an extraordinary amount of the king’s strength. “Endymion, one day you will be king,” he reminded him, his voice low and raspy. “It is time for you to shoulder some responsibility as crown prince. I trust you to do what is right for the kingdom.”</p><p>Endymion looked ready to protest yet again, but in the end, his shoulders dropped in defeat. “Yes, Father. I understand,” he said, bringing King Oberon’s hand back down to rest on his stomach. “I will do my best, for you and the people of Earth.” He leaned forward, pressing his lips against his father’s forehead and whispering some private words of affection before rising back to his feet.</p><p>Inhaling a deep breath, he turned to address his guard. “Come, we must be going. Queen Serenity is expecting us.”</p><p>With a sweep of his golden cape, Endymion exited the room, passing by a returning Dr. Caduceus on the way out the door. The doctor moved aside and bowed, Zoisite and Kunzite following after the prince.</p><p>“How far along with preparations are we?” Endymion asked as they made their way down the corridor.</p><p>“Almost everything was set before the king –” Zoisite stopped, seeing the prince’s face. “Give the order, and it will not take long to resume the previous arrangements,” he said. “We can still keep to the agreed upon schedule.”</p><p>“Good. It’s best not to keep the queen waiting. We’ll meet at –” Endymion reached for his vest pocket, coming to an abrupt stop in the middle of the hallway.</p><p>“Your Highness?”</p><p>“My watch,” he said, continuing to pat his clothes in increasing panic. “It’s missing! I know I had it with me…”</p><p>“Then it must be in the king’s suite,” Kunzite said, placing a hand on Endymion’s shoulder. “You were watching it practically half the night. It must have gotten loose somehow and fallen on the floor.” He glanced over at Zoisite. “Zach, go back and check around the chair where he was sleeping. I’ll escort His Highness back to his room and have the preparations resumed.”</p><p>Zoisite failed to see the urgency in finding a lost pocket watch when Endymion owned several others he could use as a replacement, but he did as he was told, bowing and turning back toward the king’s suite.</p><p>He didn’t bother knocking, knowing that King Oberon and Dr. Caduceus were in the king’s bedchambers. He quietly entered the sitting room and walked straight over to the hearth, kneeling beside the armchair where Endymion had slept. As Kunzite suspected, the pocket watch had fallen to the floor, Zoisite spotting a glimmer of gold underneath the chair. His hand wrapped around the watch, surprised that the metal casing was not round like most watches, and pulled it out, holding it up to take a better look at it.</p><p>Zoisite had never seen that particular watch before. The heavy gold casing was molded in an unusual shape that reminded him of a six pointed star, and there was no cover for the face, which had been vibrantly painted with a celestial motif. It appeared to not only tell the time, but also keep track of the phases of the moon, an unusual feature for an Earthian watch.</p><p>A gift from Queen Serenity, perhaps? That could explain why Endymion had been so alarmed to find it missing... Zoisite slipped it into his pocket and started to stand when he heard voices coming from the king’s bedchamber.</p><p>The proper thing to do was to ignore the voices and leave. If caught eavesdropping on the king’s private conversation, he would almost certainly face a court martial – if not worse – yet Zoisite’s curiosity got the best of him.</p><p>As quietly as possible, he walked over to the grand double doors leading to King Oberon’s bedchamber. The sound of Dr. Caduceus’s deep bass voice became more audible as he neared, filtered through a small crack left between the improperly closed doors. Zoisite turned his back to the doors, standing as close to the crack as he dared. In the unlikely event that someone else entered the sitting room, it would look as if he was simply standing guard, a common enough sight around the palace.</p><p>“– not found a cause. As I told you earlier, every test I’ve run has come back negative. There were no signs of poison in either your blood or the wine, yet this exhaustion of yours is unnatural. In all my years of practicing medicine, I’ve never –”</p><p>The king interrupted, although his voice was so weak that Zoisite couldn’t hear him no matter how hard he strained his ears. The only word he comprehended was Endymion’s name.</p><p>“I only did as you ordered, Your Majesty,” the doctor said. “Although if you ask me, I – Forgive me. I forgot my place.”</p><p>“No,” King Oberon said, his voice slightly stronger than before. “No, I’ve put you...position. You have...well, Pantaleon. ...must protect...–on and the ...”</p><p>“Sire, you must preserve your strength. Please, do not strain yourself by talking so much. Here, I’ll get you a glass of water.”</p><p>Zoisite’s brow furrowed, his supicions confirmed. So the king wasn’t simply suffering from exhaustion. It sounded like Dr. Caduceus still believed King Oberon may have been poisoned, although the tests showed no signs of it. Was that even possible? He knew of no poison that didn’t leave at least a trace behind. As toxicology was one of Dr. Caduceus’s specialties, it was unlikely he missed anything while running the tests on the king’s blood and the glass of wine he had drunk right before his collapse.</p><p>The wine...</p><p>It had been a gift from Queen Serenity, an extremely rare bottle of a Plutonian red sent in celebration of Earth’s invitation to finally join the Silver Millennium alliance. He found it hard to believe that the queen would have anything to do with a possible poisoning, but he couldn’t rule out the idea.</p><p>Not wanting to further risk getting caught, he snuck out of the room and headed back to Prince Endymion’s bedchambers. The prince was alone, surprising Zoisite when he answered the door himself.</p><p>“Did you find the watch?” Endymion asked as Zoisite entered the room, taking a moment to look out into the hall before closing the door behind him.</p><p>“Yes, it was underneath the chair, as Kunzite suspected.” Zoisite pulled out the watch in question, handing it over to the prince, who sighed in relief. “Where is he, by the way?”</p><p>Endymion stuffed the watch in his pocket. “I sent him off to try to get some rest before we left. It wouldn’t do for him to pass out when we meet the queen.”</p><p>Zoisite frowned, thinking the same of Endymion. He had changed into fresh clothes and neatly combed his hair, yet the yawn he discreetly hid behind his hand betrayed his fatigue. “Your Highness, will you allow me to be frank?”</p><p>“What is it, Zach?” The prince settled in his chair and took a sip of coffee, motioning for Zoisite to help himself. “And how many times do I have to remind you that you needn’t be so formal with me when it’s only the two of us? We are cousins, after all.”</p><p>“Second cousins, technically.” His mother Xanthippe had been the late Queen Aurelia’s favorite cousin. Sitting down in the other chair, Zoisite refused his offer of coffee and got straight to the point. “Endymion, I think it would be prudent to postpone the trip to the Moon.”</p><p>Endymion sighed. “You heard my father. He’s insistent that I attend the summit. I cannot refuse.”</p><p>“But what if King Oberon’s condition is more serious than Dr. Caduceus led us to believe? When I –” Zoisite cut himself off. If he told Endymion what he had overheard, he would have to admit to eavesdropping on the king. He didn’t believe Endymion would turn him in, but it was too much of a risk to take. “The circumstances surrounding your father’s sudden illness are suspect,” he amended. “I believe it warrants further investigation.”</p><p>“But Dr. Caduceus said there was no evidence of foul play. Are you suggesting he lied?”</p><p>“Perhaps not intentionally, but he could be wrong.”</p><p>“He’s the most well-regarded, educated physician on Earth,” Endymion reminded him. “I trust his judgment. I have no reason to believe otherwise.”</p><p>“Doctors make mistakes, Dimi. And no matter how intelligent Dr. Caduceus may be, he doesn’t know everything. If the king was poisoned by a toxin not found on Earth, then –”</p><p>“Are you saying you suspect the <em>Lunarians</em>?” Endymion stood up from his chair, shaking his head. “Do you realize how you sound? We have wanted this alliance for a long time. It will open up so many opportunities for the people of the Golden Kingdom, yet you’re talking like one of those xenophobic rebels who insist that joining Silver Millennium will lead to the end of Terran civilization.”</p><p>“I have nothing personal against the Lunarians – you know that – but you must admit the timing –”</p><p>“Lord Zoisite, I appreciate your concern, but I will not disobey my father’s orders solely based on some wild conspiracy theory of yours,” Endymion said. “We leave for the Moon in two hours. I suggest you take that time to rid your mind of such notions. I do not want anything to threaten our relationship with Silver Millennium.”</p><p>Zoisite inhaled a deep breath. He had suspected it would be difficult to convince Endymion to defy his father’s orders, although he had hoped... Well, even he had to admit it did sound like a “wild conspiracy theory”, one that he would have found hard to believe as well if their positions had been reversed.</p><p>“Yes, Your Highness,” he finally said, realizing there was no point in continuing their argument without more solid proof. Endymion had already made up his mind.</p><p>He rose to his feet, placing his right palm over his heart, and bowed to the prince before leaving.</p>
<hr/><p>The Moon Palace was aflutter with activity.</p><p>The ruler of Earth’s Golden Kingdom, King Oberon, and his son, Endymion, were due to arrive in a matter of hours for their first official visit – an event that was certain to be of great historical significance. After all, it had been many generations since an Earthian royal set foot on the Moon. Barred from joining Silver Millennium due to the planet’s lack of a proper guardian, the news that a Sailor Crystal had finally awakened in the body of the Golden Kingdom’s crown prince had sent shockwaves throughout the galaxy. It was a moment many had been waiting for in great anticipation, for if all went well with the summit, all nine planets of the solar system would at last be united under the Moon’s rule.</p><p>While eating lunch in the gardens with Princess Zenobia of Jupiter, Hermione studied her notes on the Terran king and prince one last time, trying to memorize as much as possible before their arrival. It had been difficult to find much information on Earth’s royal family. Contact between the Moon and Earth had been severely limited up to that point, so she had to rely mostly on second-hand accounts of those few who had been granted permission to visit the blue planet.</p><p>According to her reports, King Oberon had not been born into the nobility. He grew up poor in a tiny village near Mount Parnassus, the second son of a shepherd and a seamstress. At the time, Earth was under the rule of a tyrant king by the name of Midas. A war broke out when Oberon was in his early twenties. Though he had been following in his father’s footsteps as a shepherd, he decided to join the revolution to help liberate Earth’s citizens from King Midas’s tyranny, playing a key role in overthrowing the evil king’s rule. Tales of his heroics during the final siege quickly spread throughout the land, rallying the people to nominate him as their new king. Oberon, though resistant to the idea at first, eventually accepted the crown and married his childhood sweetheart, Aurelia, soon after.</p><p>“Did you know that King Oberon named the Golden Kingdom after his wife?” Hermione asked, pausing to take a bite of one of Zenobia’s delicious finger sandwiches before continuing to scan her notes. “Her name was Aurelia, which means ‘golden’ in one of Earth’s languages.”</p><p>“Hmm, sounds like he’s quite the romantic guy,” Zenobia said, pouring some more tea into each of their porcelain cups. “He’s a widower now, though, isn’t he?”</p><p>“Yes. Queen Aurelia was killed about three years ago in an assassination plot.”</p><p>“She was murdered?” Zenobia shuddered. “How awful. I’ve heard Earthians can be quite violent...”</p><p>“Earth’s history is filled with war and bloodshed,” Hermione admitted, “although it seems things were relatively peaceful for a time after King Oberon took the throne, at least until Prince Endymion was born and it was discovered that he possessed a Sailor Crystal.”</p><p>Zenobia took a sip of tea and sighed. “I wonder what the Earthian prince is like...”</p><p>“You mean, you wonder if he’s handsome?” Hermione gently teased, knowing her friend well.</p><p>Indeed, Zenobia’s cheeks turned a pale shade of pink. “It’s not an unreasonable thing to wonder about,” she said. “Not that it matters. If Earth joins the alliance, we’ll be forbidden from marrying the crown prince.”</p><p>True enough. Unlike Zenobia, though, Hermione had little interest in such matters. “I haven’t been able to discover much at all about Prince Endymion,” she said with a slight frown, turning her attention back to her notes. “I believe he was kept sheltered from the public for most of his life in order to ward off kidnapping and assassination attempts. Not even his powers as a Sailor Guardian are known. The only information I managed to find out about him is that he is roughly twenty years old in Earth years, and that he is almost always accompanied by at least one of his personal guard, four young, but decorated, generals in the Terran Army. I assume they will also be joining the king and prince on this trip.”</p><p>“Oh? Young generals?”</p><p>Before Zenobia could ask for more information about the prince’s guard, however, Bellona walked over, already transformed as Sailor Mars. Her red heels clacked against the cobblestone walkway.</p><p>“There you two are,” she said, sounding faintly annoyed – admittedly, not an uncommon occurrence for Bellona. “The Earth delegation is due to arrive at any moment.”</p><p>“Oh, no, I didn’t realize it was already so late!” Hermione said, dabbing her mouth with a napkin as she stood and silently berating herself for not paying attention to the time. She was normally much more punctual.</p><p>“Ishtar has already taken Princess Serenity to the teleportation chamber. We’re to meet them there.” Bellona frowned, taking in their appearances. Hermione and Zenobia were both dressed in elegant silk gowns, as was customary when they were not on active duty. “You two need to transform. The queen requests that we greet the Earthians as Sailor Guardians, rather than royal princesses.”</p><p>Hermione and Zenobia brought out their wands and called out their magical incantations, the power of their respective planets washing over them. Their dresses faded away behind a fantastic display of light, quickly replaced by their guardian uniforms. Once transformed, they followed Bellona to the transformation chamber.</p><p>The transformation chamber was located in a far, out-of-the-way area of the palace grounds, a protective measure should an enemy manage to commandeer control of another planet’s teleportation pad and try to infiltrate the Moon Palace. It was always heavily guarded, the three of them bowed to in reverence by the Lunarian soldiers on patrol as they made their way inside.</p><p>As Bellona said, Ishtar and Princess Serenity had already arrived, along with Queen Serenity, the all-powerful ruler of Silver Millennium. They bowed respectfully to the queen, then took their places, lined up beside the Venusian princess.</p><p>It wasn’t long before the teleportation pad in the center of the room came to life, glowing a bright, almost-blinding white. When the light finally disappeared, it revealed the figures of five young men, one member of the delegation conspicuously missing.</p><p>If the absence of King Oberon surprised her, the queen did not show it.</p><p>"Prince Endymion, thank you for coming," Queen Serenity said once the Earthian prince made his way down the teleportation platform. It was easy to tell who he was, as the other four were garbed in formal military attire in contrast to his royal armor. "We welcome you and your guard to the Moon Palace and hope you will find your visit most satisfactory."</p><p>"It is an honor to accept your invitation, Your Majesty." The young prince – Hermione remembered from her notes that he was only a couple of Earth years older than their princess – bowed and kissed the hand Queen Serenity held out to him, as was proper decorum. "My father sends his regrets that he was unable to attend this historic summit due to poor health, but he has given me full authority to act on his behalf."</p><p>"King Oberon places much trust in you," the queen said, smiling. "I send my well wishes that your father will recover soon, but in the meantime, I look forward to working with you to come to an agreement that will suit both our kingdoms' needs and wishes."</p><p>"As do I, Your Majesty."</p><p>Turning gracefully, Queen Serenity motioned for her daughter to come forward. The younger Serenity did not possess the same natural grace of her mother, but years of etiquette training under Princess Bellona's tutelage had done wonders in improving her overall carriage and bearing. Hermione suspected she was the only one who noticed Serenity's slight wobble when she took her place at the queen's side, the uncomfortable glass heels she had been forced to wear a continued hindrance.</p><p>"May I present my daughter and heir to the kingdom of Silver Millennium, Princess Serenity?"</p><p>Serenity gathered the iridescent skirts of her gown in her hands and dropped to a curtsy in front of the prince. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness."</p><p>"N-No, the pleasure is mine," Endymion said. He again bowed and kissed her hand, a faint pink blush coloring Serenity's fair cheeks.</p><p>"I would also like to introduce you to Princess Serenity's guard," the queen continued. "Their leader, Sailor Venus, Princess Ishtar of Venus."</p><p>Ishtar, widely considered the most beautiful and desirable woman in the kingdom, stepped forward, earning admiring glances from every man present. She, however, only seemed to have eyes for the man with snow-white hair, her gaze lingering far longer on his face than any of the others before she curtsied. "Welcome to the kingdom of Silver Millennium," she said. “I hope you enjoy your stay.”</p><p>Princess Zenobia of Jupiter and Princess Bellona of Mars followed suit as the queen introduced them in turn, leaving Hermione as the final Sailor Guardian to be presented. "And lastly, Princess Hermione of Mercury, Sailor Mercury," Queen Serenity said. "I assure you, there is no greater mind in all Silver Millennium than hers."</p><p>"You honor me with your praise, Your Majesty." As the others before her, Hermione stepped forward and curtsied to the gathered Earth delegates, feeling silly doing so in her short uniform. "Welcome. Should you require any assistance during your stay, please do not hesitate to ask. I will do anything I can to help."</p><p>As she straightened her posture, Hermione noticed one of Prince Endymion's guard staring at her – a man so handsome that it seemed more appropriate to refer to him as beautiful instead, his delicate facial features and long, reddish-blond hair almost putting even the beauty of Ishtar to shame. Momentarily startled by the attention – it was rare for her to attract much notice when in the company of the other princesses – she blinked twice before regaining her composure, stepping back to join the rest of the guardians.</p><p>Afterwards, it was Endymion's turn to present his own guard. The one who had stared at Hermione earlier was the last to be introduced, coming forward and bowing gallantly at the waist as the prince said, "And, finally, General Zacharias Zoisite, commander of the European troops."</p><p>"At your service," Zoisite said.</p><p>He again locked eyes with Hermione as he rose, staring at her for a long moment before rejoining the other generals.</p><p>Hermione brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, uncharacteristically flustered. She didn't understand his apparent fascination with her.</p><p>So distracted by Zoisite's behavior, Hermione only caught the end of Queen Serenity's invitation to the delegation from Earth to attend the welcome ball being held in their honor.</p><p>"— tonight in the ballroom," the queen said, arms outstretched. "Until then, please feel free to rest. Teleportation is a quick mode of travel, but I know it can leave one feeling exhausted, especially if you are unaccustomed to it."</p><p>Endymion bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you, Your Majesty. We appreciate it."</p><p>With that, the queen ordered the few chosen trustworthy servants to show their guests to their bedchambers, everyone else dismissed.</p>
<hr/><p>One thing could be said about the ruler of Silver Millennium – she threw one hell of a welcome party.</p><p>From his spot leaning against a marble pillar, Zoisite sipped wine from a crystal goblet, his eyes taking in the scene before him. Masked dancers in elaborate costumes swept across the ballroom, and a small orchestra played music he had never heard before, beautiful melodies filling the air. Everyone was smiling and laughing, appearing to be in high spirits. Even Prince Endymion was putting on a show of enjoying himself, dancing with the crown princess of Silver Millennium as if he hadn’t a care in the world.</p><p>Zoisite frowned as he watched Endymion spin Serenity around, catching her in his arms when she stumbled out of it. He understood how important the alliance was to the Golden Kingdom, but he still couldn’t shake the feeling that coming to the Moon was a mistake. If anything happened to King Oberon while they were gone, Endymion would never forgive himself.</p><p>He glanced over at Queen Serenity, sitting upon her crystalline throne on the dais at the far end of the ballroom. With her beatific smile and pure white dress accented with delicate iridescent wings upon her back, she appeared more an angel than a cold-blooded murderess, but looks could certainly be deceiving.</p><p>“Why aren’t you dancing?” Kunzite asked, coming up beside him. “It’s a party. Normally, you would be mingling with the other guests, flirting and charming your way into somebody’s bed.” On occasion, that bed happened to be Kunzite’s.</p><p>Zoisite shrugged, taking another sip of his wine. “Not much in the mood tonight,” he said. “Although, if you’re offering...”</p><p>“Lord Kunzite, there you are.”</p><p>Zoisite withdrew the hand he had been about to use to rub Kunzite’s arm, turning his attention to the woman who had joined them. Of all the elaborate and flamboyant costumes on display, Princess Ishtar’s gown was by far the most scandalous, made mostly of a shimmering sheer fabric. Only strategic patches of gold-threaded embroidery managed to keep her modesty intact. A sequined red mask covered the top half of her face, matching the bow tied to the end of her blonde braid, and she wore stacks of gold necklaces and bangle bracelets around her neck and wrists.</p><p>“Good evening, Your Highness,” Zoisite said, bowing to the Venusian princess. “That costume becomes you.”</p><p>Ishtar smiled, linking her arm through Kunzite’s. “Thank you, Lord...Zoisite, I believe? Khalil has told me so much about you,” she said.</p><p><em>Khalil?</em> Zoisite arched an eyebrow. They were already on close enough terms for her to feel comfortable using Kunzite’s personal name?</p><p>Kunzite brought a fist to his mouth, lightly clearing his throat. “Did you finish your business with the ambassador, Your Highness?” he asked Ishtar.</p><p>“Yes, it was only a minor issue. I believe everything is settled now.” She pressed herself against his arm, looking up at Kunzite with a coquettish smile. “Another dance, my lord?”</p><p>“As you wish. Just one moment.”</p><p>Gently releasing himself from Ishtar’s grasp, he turned to Zoisite and moved close enough that his mouth was right next to Zoisite’s ear. “Try to enjoy yourself at least a little, or pretend if you must,” he whispered. “This masquerade is being held in our honor. We mustn’t seem ungrateful.”</p><p>Zoisite sighed. “Fine. I’ll try.”</p><p>“Good. And I am offering, if you’re interested.”</p><p>Surprised, Zoisite glanced over Kunzite’s shoulder at Ishtar. “Wouldn’t you rather spend the night with her?”</p><p>“I think you need me more tonight.”</p><p>“You think highly of yourself,” he said, although Kunzite wasn’t necessarily wrong. It had been a while... He sighed. “Midnight. My room.”</p><p>“I’ll be there.” Turning back around, Kunzite offered his arm to Ishtar. “I believe I owe you a dance, Your Highness?”</p><p>“Indeed, you do.”</p><p>Zoisite watched the two of them until they disappeared into the throng of whirling dancers, then began circulating around the ballroom, chatting with some of the other guests. On the outside, he was his usual witty and charming self, keeping Kunzite’s advice in mind, but he paid close attention whenever he heard the Golden Kingdom mentioned in conversation, judging if anyone seemed displeased by the notion of Earth joining the alliance. Even if Queen Serenity was innocent of any assassination plot against King Oberon, the possibility remained that one of the other planets might have had something to do with it.</p><p>He also kept a watchful eye on Endymion. Technically, Jadeite was the guard on duty, but he seemed more interested in flirting with a thoroughly unimpressed Princess Bellona than doing his job. Zoisite might have felt sorrier for him if the Martian princess’s chastity wasn’t so well-known, even to those on Earth.</p><p>“Hey, I think it’s clear by now she’s not interested, Jadeite,” Zoisite said, pulling him aside at one point. “Why don’t you stop making a fool of yourself and pay a little more attention to the prince?”</p><p>Jadeite arched an eyebrow. “You’re one to talk,” he said. “You’re the one who’s always shirking your duties whenever you think you can get away with it. Besides, it’s a party. Do you seriously expect there to be an assassination attempt in front of this many witnesses?”</p><p>It was unlikely, true, but with most of the guests’ faces hidden behind masks, it would also be easier to obscure their identity if someone did try to take out Prince Endymion. They couldn’t be too careful. “Just...do your job.”</p><p>“Fine.” Jadeite sighed. “It looks like I’ve lost my chance, anyway.”</p><p>Bellona had taken the opportunity while they were talking to join Nephrite and Zenobia over by the refreshment table, the three of them chatting amicably as they snacked on Lunarian delicacies. Dejected, Jadeite hung his head, Zoisite squeezing his shoulder in comfort.</p><p>“Better luck next time, okay?”</p><p>Leaving Jadeite behind, Zoisite continued his rounds of the ballroom, though he wasn’t having much luck in coming across any useful information. By all accounts, everyone seemed pleased with the idea of Earth potentially joining Silver Millennium.</p><p>What he needed was somebody closer to the queen, someone who was a part of her inner circle, not the minor nobles and ambassadors he had mostly spoken to thus far, who only parroted what they had been told.</p><p>He briefly thought of seducing Ishtar for intel, but he sensed her seduction skills were on par with his own. He doubted he would be able to pull anything over on her. Bellona was out, for obvious reasons. Perhaps Zenobia would do? An ambassador from one of Jupiter’s moons had mentioned she was an expert when it came to interplanetary plant life, information that could prove helpful in identifying what made King Oberon so ill. She wasn’t really his usual type, to be honest, but he supposed she was pretty enough.</p><p>Zoisite started to make his way over to the refreshment table to join Zenobia’s group when he saw a woman in blue out of the corner of his eye. She wore a gorgeous gown reminiscent of waves, the satiny fabric hugging her soft curves until hitting her mid-thigh, where it then fanned out into tiers of various blue tones. Though her face was hidden behind a sparkly sapphire-and-pearl-encrusted mask, the distinctive hue of her hair gave her identity away.</p><p>Princess Hermione of Mercury.</p><p>He thought she had skipped out on the party. Zoisite had briefly searched for her when he first arrived at the masquerade, but there had been no sign of her anywhere, disappointing him. Though they had only met briefly, something about the Mercurian princess had intrigued him from the moment he first laid eyes on her.</p><p>The same feeling returned, even stronger than before. He involuntarily sucked in a breath, staring at her from afar. She was standing off by herself, watching everybody else dance with a soft smile on her lips. Zoisite suspected, like Jadeite, she was the one on guard duty for the night, tasked with keeping an eye on Princess Serenity. However, her gaze soon found his, Hermione smiling and nodding in acknowledgement before tucking a strand of her blue hair behind her ear.</p><p>As a waiter passed him by, Zoisite plucked another goblet of wine from his tray and walked over to her, changing his mind about Zenobia. Hermione seemed a more promising mark. Not only was she considered a genius, an expert in a variety of subjects, including the medical field, Queen Serenity obviously thought very highly of her, considering the glowing introduction she had given Hermione.</p><p>The fact that he found her incredibly attractive didn’t hurt either...</p><p>“Good evening, Princess Hermione,” he said upon approaching her, bowing his head in deference to her title. “Care for a drink?”</p><p>“Oh...thank you, Lord Zoisite.” She graciously took the goblet he offered her, Zoisite impressed – and pleased – that she had recognized him behind his own green and gold harlequin-print mask. “I was just thinking my throat was getting a little parched,” she said. “How are you enjoying the party so far?”</p><p>“Queen Serenity has certainly done her best to make us feel welcome,” he said, choosing the most diplomatic answer. “This may be the grandest masquerade I’ve ever attended.”</p><p>“Her Majesty wanted tonight to be a celebration. We’ve all been greatly looking forward to the day when Earth would be invited to join Silver Millennium.”</p><p>“To new alliances, then.” Zoisite held out his goblet for a toast. “May the Golden Kingdom and Silver Millennium prosper for many years to come.”</p><p>Hermione smiled, clinking her goblet against his and reciting what he recognized from his linguistic lessons as a young boy was a Curian toast before taking a sip. “The people of Earth must be excited about the possible alliance.”</p><p>He shrugged, taking a sip of his own drink before replying. “It depends on who you ask. Most are. Some aren’t.”</p><p>“Oh?” Her eyes widened in slight surprise. “Is that so?”</p><p>“We are an individualistic people. As such, it’s only natural that we will have differing opinions on most things,” he said. “I’m certain it must be the same for you Lunarians. After all, you are not of a hive mind, to my knowledge. There must be some who have expressed displeasure or have some reservations about Earth joining Silver Millennium.”</p><p>Hermione didn’t answer right away, most likely carefully considering her choice of words. “Well, yes, I suppose there have been some minor concerns mentioned here and there,” she said, twirling the stem of her goblet between her fingers, “but nothing of huge importance. Overall, I would say public opinion is quite positive.”</p><p>“That’s good to hear,” he said, wondering how far he could push things before Hermione became too wary of his motives. Surely she would expect at least a follow-up question after saying something like that? Dropping the subject could be just as suspicious as a full interrogation. “Out of curiosity, though... What kind of ‘minor concerns’ are there?”</p><p>Laughing, she again tucked a strand of her blue hair behind her ear. “Oh, it’s really rather silly. Like I said, it’s nothing important.”</p><p>“If it’s nothing important, then there’s no harm in confiding in me, right?” He moved a little closer to her – near enough to invite the spilling of secrets, yet keeping a respectable distance as not to make her uncomfortable. “This will be Prince Endymion’s first time sitting in on a negotiation without his father’s presence to guide him. It would be nice if he knew of any possible issues beforehand in order to prepare himself.”</p><p>“Well... It’s about your prince, actually,” she admitted, lowering her voice. “It’s...surprising that he’s male.”</p><p>“Most princes are, in my experience,” Zoisite lightly teased.</p><p>Though Hermione’s face was half-covered by her mask, he detected a faint blush peeking through, coloring the apples of her cheeks. “I meant to say, it is surprising that a man is a carrier of a Sailor Crystal,” she corrected herself.</p><p>“Is that a cause of some controversy?” Zoisite was aware that some Earthians doubted the legitimacy of the Golden Crystal as a true Sailor Crystal. Prominent belief was that only females could possess such powerful starseeds, so it wouldn’t come as a surprise if some Lunarians had suspicions along the same lines.</p><p>She took a moment to consider his question, sipping her wine. “I wouldn’t say ‘controversial’, as such. More like, it’s a curiosity? As far as anyone is aware, there has never been a male Sailor Guardian before. People are naturally interested.”</p><p>He arched an eyebrow. “Including yourself?”</p><p>“Yes, of course. I look forward to training and working with him in the future.”</p><p>Zoisite hummed, finishing off his drink. The fact that Endymion’s sex drew so much interest from the Lunarians was slightly intriguing, but didn’t provide much of a motive as to why one of them might want to murder King Oberon. It made more sense to target Endymion himself if someone had a problem with the idea of a male Sailor Guardian. Still, he mentally made note of everything Hermione had told him in the event it turned out to be of some relevance after all.</p><p>Not wanting to arouse Hermione’s suspicions any further, Zoisite decided it best to put off more questioning until later. He took her half-drunk goblet, setting both hers and his empty one on a nearby table, and extended his hand to her, palm side up, his other arm behind his back. “May I have this dance, Your Highness?”</p><p>Hermione stared down at his offered hand for a long moment before smiling and placing her palm against his. “Yes, of course, my lord.”</p><p>Her skin was not as smooth as he would customarily expect of a noblewoman, her slender fingers baring the tell-tale calluses of a writer – or a devoted student, perhaps. Zoisite grasped her hand more firmly and drew her closer toward him, placing his other hand against the small of her back.</p><p>The orchestra began playing a new composition as they began to dance.</p><p>Zoisite’s earlier observations had proved fruitful in one area, at least: he’d gotten the basics of Lunarian dancing down. Hermione followed his lead, smooth and light on her feet, like a fairy frolicking on air, and for the first time that night, he began to genuinely enjoy himself, forgetting for the moment about his worries and concerns.</p><p><em>This is more the life I should have led, </em>Zoisite found himself thinking. He was not cut out for life on the battlefield, covered in dirt and blood, haunted by death...</p><p>“You are an excellent dancer, my lord,” Hermione said, breaking Zoisite away from his melancholic thoughts. “I’m impressed you picked up on the steps so quickly.”</p><p>Zoisite smiled, switching back to his seducer mode. “It’s easy to dance well when you have a beautiful woman in your arms,” he said, pulling her even closer against his body.</p><p>Hermione blushed, yet she made no attempt to push him away despite the fact they were dancing far closer than the other couples around them. “Why do I have the feeling you’ve said those words many times before?” she asked.</p><p>“Even if I have, that doesn’t make them any less true.” Mirroring the other couples around them, he released her into a spin, her multi-toned blue skirt fluttering around her calves before he pulled her back into hold. “Speaking of beautiful,” he continued, “the Moon Palace is as magnificent as rumor claimed. I’ve heard the palace library, in particular, is very impressive. I must admit, it was one of the things I was most looking forward to seeing when it was announced we were visiting the Moon for this summit. Is it open to visitors?”</p><p>Hermione’s eyes lit up behind her mask at the mention of the library. “Yes, the main library is open to the public, although certain archives have restricted access,” she said. “Are you a bibliophile?”</p><p>“You could say that, yes.” He sighed. “Not that I have much time to read nowadays...” When he was younger, he used to spend hours at the library, reading every book he could get his hands on. Now, it was a bloody sword he most often found in his hand, continuing the Zoisite family legacy.</p><p>“I know what you mean. I wish I had more time for reading myself,” she said. “If you’d like, I would be happy to give you a tour of the library tomorrow morning.”</p><p>“That would be wonderful, if it’s not too much of an imposition.” If he was able to get access to the library, he might be able to do some research and find some clues about King Oberon’s condition.</p><p>“N-No, not at all. My morning is free until ten, when I begin my daily lessons with Princess Serenity. Shall I meet you after breakfast?”</p><p>“Yes, thank you, that would be great. I appreciate the offer, Your Highness.”</p><p>By that time, the music came to an end. A part of him was reluctant to stop, but Hermione pulled away, glancing at someone or something over his shoulder. “Thank you for the dance, Lord Zoisite,” she said, “but I’m afraid I must be going. It’s time for the princess to retire to her bedchambers for the night. The queen does not like for her to stay up too late.”</p><p>“Of course, I understand.” He had hoped to have a little more time with her, but at least he had procured the invitation to the library. That was enough for the moment. Bowing, he brought the hand he still held to his mouth, eyes locked on hers as he brushed his lips against the back of her palm. “It was a pleasure. Until we meet again, Your Highness.”</p><p>Smiling, she dipped into a small curtsy. “Yes, I look forward to it, Lord Zoisite. Good night.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>
    <em>The world is painted in red.</em>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <em> He slashes his sword across a nearby enemy's chest, spilling more blood onto the saturated ground. How many has he killed today? He lost count soon after the battle began. Twenty? Thirty? Ha! A drop in the bucket compared to the countless more he ha</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>s</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em> murdered over the course of his lifetime.</em>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <em> Yes, murdered.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Zoisite holds no delusions anymore that what they do is noble and righteous. The enemy soldiers they fight on the battlefield are no different than them. They all have friends, families, lovers who they were fighting to protect, who would cry tears of heartbreak when news came of their loved ones' deaths.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Yet, he still kills.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Another soldier falls, slain by his blood-stained sword.</em>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <em> He knows no other life. From the moment he was born, he </em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>was</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em> destined to fight, to uphold the honor of his family's legacy of military service. </em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>His own desires mean nothing.</em>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <em> One more down. More blood on his hands.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> "Onward!" he shouts at the top of his lungs, glancing back at his remaining troops.</em>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <em> They're showing signs of fatigue, their once-pristine uniforms soiled and torn. He knows he doesn't look much better. The scout he sent to spy on the enemy's camp ha</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>s</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em> underestimated their number, putting them at a severe disadvantage in battle. His troops are still more skilled, but if Kunzite </em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>do</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>es</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>n’t</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em> arrive with reinforcements soon…</em>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <em> To be honest, Zoisite can't bring himself to care much anymore. He always knew he would die on the battlefield, just like his father and grandfather before him. The only reason he continues to defend himself is to defend them, the soldiers under his command. They need his leadership, so he keeps going, painting the soil a deeper red below his horse's hooves as he cuts through the enemy's seemingly never-ending line of troops.</em>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <em> Kunzite's reinforcements almost arrive too late, Zoisite's troops cut down to nearly a third of their original number by the time they join the fray. Their appearance does bolster the survivors' spirits, however, giving them a second wind. Zoisite, spotting his </em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>longtime lover</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em> on the front lines, pulls on his horse's reins, steering him to the left.</em>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <em> "What the hell happened here, Zoisite?" Kunzite asks. "This was supposed to be a simple siege operation."</em>
</p><p>
  <em> "Intelligence was compromised. The enemy's numbers were far larger than originally anticipated," Zoisite says, coming up beside him. "I suspect a mole tipped them off about the raid."</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Kunzite's eyes narrow. "Any idea who?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em> "Not yet. We've managed to hold them off, but – Argh!"</em>
</p><p><span><em> Piercing, blinding pain emanates from his left shoulder. </em></span><span><em>On instinct, Zoisite r</em></span><span><em>eleases his hold</em></span><span><em> of the reins </em></span><span><em>and grabs at it, </em></span><span><em>s</em></span><span><em>oaking his hand in</em></span><span><em> his own blood. </em></span><span><em>There isn’t a lot of it, yet he quickly g</em></span><span><em>rows</em></span> <span><em>woozy and light-headed, his vision fading in and out. </em></span></p><p>
  <span>
    <em>Poison. The enemy must have coated the tip of their arrow with some fast-acting toxin.</em>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <em> "Zacharias!"</em>
</p><p><span><em>W</em></span><span><em>ith lightning-fast reflexes</em></span><span><em>, </em></span><span><em>Kunzite wraps his arm around Zoisite’s back, catching him before he falls off the horse </em></span><span><em>in a bout of dizziness</em></span><span><em>. He orders some nearby troops to shield them, </em></span><span><em>then manages</em></span> <span><em>to get Zoisite safely down to the ground, laying him on his uninjured side to inspect the wound.</em></span></p><p>
  <span>
    <em> “Leave...me be...</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>Khalil,</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>” Zoisite wheezes. “</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>You must...take over...command...”</em>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <em> “</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>Quiet!” Kunzite say</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>s</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em> in a rough, yet strangely tender, voice. “I’m not letting you die, Zach.” To a nearby soldier, he barks, “You! Get me a healer, now!”</em>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <em> “</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>But, sir! To bring a healer into active battle –”</em>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <em> “</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>Do you not speak Terran? </em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>I said, NOW!”</em>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <em>Zoisite’</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>s body shakes with tremors, his breathing becoming erratic</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>. </em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>There is no point in sending for a healer. The poison i</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>s</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em> too quick, meant to kill within minutes</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>. He’</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>ll </em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>be dead before any medical help could arrive.</em>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <em>He’s scared </em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>beyond words</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>, yet a part of him is relieved. Finally, an end to this life of blood</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>she</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>d. He’s never really believed in such things like an “afterlife” or “reincarnation”, but if such a thing did exist, he silently wishes his next life to be a peaceful one, full of love and beauty.</em>
  </span>
</p><p><span><em>Using h</em></span><span><em>is</em></span><span><em> remaining strength, Zoisite cranes his neck to the side. Kunzite is leaning over him, his long hair falling over his face like a curtain. </em></span><span><em>Zoisite longs to run his fingers through the silky white tresses one last time, to kiss away the tear he saw trailing down his cheek – </em></span><span><em>to hell with whoever was watching –</em></span> <span><em>but his body won’t cooperate.</em></span></p><p>
  <span>
    <em> “</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>Zacharias, hold on,” </em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>Kunzite</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em> says in a soft voice, </em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>gripping Zoisite’s arm</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>. “</em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>There’s no time. </em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>I’m going to try to yank this arrow out of your shoulder. I don’t know if it will stop the poison, but...”</em>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <em> “N-No, don’t – AHHH!”</em>
</p><p>Zoisite awoke with a gasp, jolting himself into an upright position. Heart beating fast, he grabbed his left shoulder, exhaling when he found nothing protruding out of the bare skin.</p><p>Only a dream.</p><p>His eyes roamed around the bedroom, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. It took him a moment to remember that he was on the Moon, a guest of Queen Serenity of Silver Millennium. The night before, he'd attended a masquerade ball held to welcome the visitors from Earth. He had danced with Princess Hermione of Mercury, intending to seduce her for intel, yet at the end of the night, it was not in her bed he found himself. Instead...</p><p>"Another nightmare?"</p><p>He glanced to his left. Next to him on the bed, Kunzite was laying on his side, head propped up on his elbow. The blanket barely concealed his nudity, draped loosely over his hips and leaving his torso bare.</p><p>Zoisite wondered how long Kunzite had been awake. They had shared a bed enough times over the years for Kunzite to know it was better – and safer – to let him wake on his own, rather than to try to awaken him when he was in the middle of one of his "night terrors".</p><p>"Sorry, did I wake you?" Zoisite asked, running a hand through his tangled curls.</p><p>"No, I was already up." Frowning, Kunzite reached up to caress Zoisite's cheek. "I'm worried about you, Zach."</p><p>Zoisite slapped his hand away. "Well, don't be," he said. "I'm fine. Everyone has nightmares."</p><p>"Not as often as you."</p><p>
  <span> "And you would know that, how? It's not as if we sleep together every night." Indeed, last night </span>
  <span>was</span>
  <span> the first time in months.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Yes, because of your steadfast refusal to commit to anyone…" The blanket shifted even lower as Kunzite sat up, letting out a sigh. "I'm surprised you even deigned to take me to bed last night when you had your choice of available partners." There was a hint of bitterness in his deep voice, but he </span>
  <span>knew </span>
  <span>Zoisite had no desire for romantic entanglements.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At least, not any more. After what happened that day on the battlefield...</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Don't act as if you didn't have your own pick of willing bedmates, my dear Khalil." If Kunzite was unhappy with the state of their current arrangement, it was his own damn fault; no one had forced him to come to </span>
  <span>Zoisite’s</span>
  <span> bedchambers. "Princess Ishtar seemed particularly taken with you…"</span>
</p><p>At the mention of the Venusian princess, Kunzite’s body went strangely stiff for a moment, his fingers gripping at the silken sheets. Before Zoisite could question him about it, however, he relaxed, smiling and cocking his head to the side. “Jealous? She is widely considered the most beautiful woman in Silver Millennium...”</p><p>Zoisite arched an eyebrow. "Even more beautiful than me?" he asked, cupping Kunzite's chin in his hand.</p><p>Kunzite smirked. "No one is as beautiful as you, Zacharias."</p><p>"Good answer."</p><p>He leaned forward, capturing Kunzite's lips in a passionate, needy kiss, determined to erase any thought of the pretty princess from his mind. Who Kunzite fucked when he wasn't around was of no importance to him, but when in his bed, Zoisite demanded his full attention, unwilling to play second fiddle to anyone. Kunzite got the message, gripping the back of Zoisite's neck as he swirled his tongue inside his mouth, the two of them falling back upon the mattress.</p><p>
  <span> Closing his eyes, Zoisite moaned when Kunzite's mouth left his, traveling his jawline up to his ear before roaming down his neck. His knee settled in between Zoisite's thighs, </span>
  <span>spreading them apart, and his hand wrapped around his already half-hard cock, moving up and down the shaft in t</span>
  <span>he</span>
  <span> practiced rhythmic motion </span>
  <span>he knew Zoisite enjoyed</span>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p><span><em>Yes, this is what I needed,</em></span><span> Zoisite thought</span><span>, </span><span>h</span><span>ooking</span><span> his arms around Kunzite’s broad back and</span> <span>pulling him closer</span><span>. </span><span>The mornings he woke from one of his nightmares </span><span>always set him on edge, </span><span>but all </span><span>memories</span><span> of that horrific battle faded to the back of his mind </span><span>as Kunzite’s mouth once again found his, their bodies grinding against each other. </span><span>Soon the room was filled with a symphony of heavy pants and loud moans, the sounds almost – but not quite – concealing a knock on the door.</span></p><p>"Don't answer that," Kunzite practically growled.</p><p>Not that it was necessary. Zoisite certainly wasn't inclined to stop what they were doing either until whoever it was knocked again, that time a female voice calling out, "I come with breakfast, Lord Zoisite." With an annoyed huff, he pushed Kunzite off of him and sat back up.</p><p>"Stay there. I'll get rid of her." After kissing Kunzite one more time, he climbed out of bed and reached for his robe, tying it loosely around his naked body before opening the door.</p><p>A maid with curly purple hair stood in the hallway, carrying a heavy silver tray laden with fruits, breads, and pastries. She bowed her head, careful to keep the tray level.</p><p>"Good morning, Lord Zoisite," she said. "Where would you like your breakfast to be served?" Her eyes looked over his shoulder at Kunzite, whose only attempt at modesty was to pull a silken sheet over his lap. If she found anything shocking about the sight, she didn't show it, her face showing no flicker of emotion as she turned her attention back to Zoisite. "In bed, my lord?"</p><p>Zoisite flicked his wrist in the direction of a small table in the corner of the room, then moved aside so the maid could enter. "Over there is fine."</p><p>She carried the tray to the tablet and set it down, pouring two cups of sweet-scented tea. As she did so, Zoisite thought he caught sight of a moon sigil on her forehead, underneath the modcap she wore.</p><p>"Is there anything else I can do for you, my lord?" she asked when she had finished. "Perhaps draw you a bath?"</p><p>"No, we're fine for now. Thank you."</p><p>Dismissed, the maid curtsied, then left the room, Zoisite peeking out the door a few moments later. There was no sign of her, the corridor empty and quiet.</p><p>When he closed the door and turned back around, Kunzite was sitting back up in bed. "A spy?" he asked.</p><p>"Most likely."</p><p>Sighing, Kunzite pushed his hair back off his face. “Silver Millennium may be willing to allow Earth to join the alliance because of Prince Endymion’s crystal, but if they’ve sent out spies, they clearly don’t trust us yet.”</p><p>“I don’t entirely trust them, either,” Zoisite admitted, crossing his arms. “The king’s sudden illness right before he was due to travel to the Moon is too coincidental.”</p><p>Kunzite frowned. “You believe His Majesty was poisoned? But I thought Dr. Caduceus said he was only suffering from exhaustion due to overwork.”</p><p>“I’m afraid the doctor may not have been entirely truthful, Khalil.”</p><p><span> Zoisite sat back down on the edge of the bed. </span><span>After his disastrous discussion with Endymion, he had been reluctant to confide in anybody else about his suspicions until he found more concrete proof, but </span><span>he supposed</span><span> it wouldn’t hurt to have an extra set of eyes and ears to help with the investigation. There was a time he told Kunzite everything, </span><span>trusting him with his deepest, darkest secrets. Though they were no longer as close as they once were, if anybody would take his concerns seriously, it was Kunzite.</span> <span>Zoisite</span><span> told h</span><span>im</span><span> about the conversation he had overheard between the king and Dr. Caduceus right before they left for the Moon, </span><span>Kunzite keeping quiet until he finished.</span></p><p>
  <span> “</span>
  <span>I admit it does sound like the king and Dr. Caduceus are hiding something,” Kunzite said, “but you said yourself that the doctor told King Oberon that he found no trace of toxins in his blood.”</span>
</p><p>“No Earth-native toxin, at least,” Zoisite said, absent-mindedly twirling a strand of his hair around his finger.</p><p>“You suspect the Lunarians of foul play?”</p><p>“At this point, it’s too soon to cast blame, or to even say for certain a crime has taken place. We should keep a close eye on Prince Endymion, though. If the Lunarians did have something to do with King Oberon’s illness, the prince may be their next target.”</p><p>
  <span> “</span>
  <span>Agreed. I’</span>
  <span>ll tell Nicomedes and Julian to be on their guard</span>
  <span>, have them keep their eyes and ears open for anything suspicious,” Kunzite said. “In the meantime, I’ll leave the bulk of the investigation in your hands. Keep me abreast of any new developments.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>After an informal breakfast with Zenobia and Bellona in the royal gardens – Ishtar had morning guard duty and couldn’t join them – Hermione excused herself, remembering she had promised Zoisite a tour of the palace library.</p><p>It was an unexpected request, though one that pleased her. A library wasn’t the type of place she thought a military man would find of much interest. Then again, the men in Prince Endymion’s guard all came from noble families, presumably well-educated in more than warfare. She berated herself for making assumptions based on stereotypes as she walked to Zoisite’s bedchambers.</p><p>She had just turned the corner when she saw the door to his room open. However, the person who stepped into the hallway was not Zoisite.</p><p>Catching a glimpse of long white-blond hair, Hermione instinctively hid behind a nearby marble statue of Queen Serenity and pressed herself against the wall.</p><p>Two men's voices reached her ears, one she recognized as belonging to Zoisite. They were speaking in soft tones, making it difficult to discern what they were discussing, and though Hermione managed to catch the occasional random word, none of them added up to much. Her natural curiosity getting the best of her, she risked peeking through the small gap in between the statue's arm and body during a pause in the conversation, her eyes widening.</p><p>
  <span> In front of the door, </span>
  <span>Zoisite</span>
  <span> was locked in a passionate kiss with another one of Prince Endymion's guard</span>
  <span>s</span>
  <span>, the </span>
  <span>one who had captured Ishtar’s interest when they had arrived yesterday.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> She covered her mouth with her hand, muffling the gasp that had threatened to escape as she once again hid from view. Zoisite and Kunzite were…lovers? </span>
  <span>Such a sight was not </span>
  <span>all that shocking among the citizens of Silver Millennium, but </span>
  <span>she had always been under the impression that h</span>
  <span>omosexual relationships</span>
  <span> were frowned upon in Earthian society.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione took another peek through the gap. With one final kiss, the two of them said their goodbyes, Kunzite retreating down the hall in the opposite direction.</span>
</p><p>"You can come out of hiding," Zoisite said once Kunzite was out of earshot.</p><p>
  <span>She</span>
  <span> stepped out from her hiding place behind the statue. "How did you know I was here?"</span>
</p><p>"Your heels." He turned around to face her, smiling. "They're not quite suitable for spy missions."</p><p>Her cheeks warmed. "I wasn't spying," she said. "Did you forget my offer to show you the palace's library this morning?"</p><p>"Oh, right." He rubbed at his forehead. "You did mention something about that. It must have slipped my mind," he said, opening the door to his suite. "Come in. I still need to shower and get dressed, then we can go."</p><p>"I can come back later." Gossip spread quickly around the palace. If she was seen entering or leaving the room of one of Prince Endymion's guards, <span>scandal</span> was bound to follow.</p><p>"Nonsense. I won't take long," he said. "I insist."</p><p>Hermione looked once again around the vicinity. The corridor was empty save for the two of them, no one else in sight. After a moment of hesitation, she stepped inside the room, Zoisite closing the door behind them.</p><p>He waved a hand toward the breakfast tray sitting on a table in the corner. "Feel free to partake of our leftovers. We weren't very hungry this morning, so there’s plenty left.”</p><p>"Thank you."</p><p>Though she had already eaten breakfast, Hermione snatched a blueberry muffin from the basket and sat down in an armchair near the fireplace while Zoisite left the room to take a shower.</p><p>As she waited, she noticed a leather-bound book on the table beside her chair. She picked it up after she finished eating the muffin, flipping through the pages in mild curiosity. It was written in Terran, the lingua franca of the Golden Kingdom, and titled "Red Like Roses, Black Like Sin". Careful not to lose the place marked by a ribbon, she turned back to the first page and began to read.</p><p>Hermione became so engrossed in the story that she didn't notice when Zoisite came out of the bathroom.</p><p>"Are you a fan of Dorian's works as well?"</p><p>"Oh, sorry. I saw the book and –" She looked up from her current page, startled to see Zoisite standing in front of her completely naked, save for a towel wrapped around his shoulders, which he was using to dry his long blond hair. Her cheeks burning, the book fell out of Hermione's hands. "Oh, no, I lost your place!"</p><p>She leaned over to pick it up, but Zoisite was faster.</p><p>"I don't mind," he said with an amused chuckle. "I've read this novel many times before. I know exactly where I left off reading." After a short pause, he handed the book back to Hermione. "You should keep it for a while."</p><p>Hermione managed to look up at Zoisite's face, making a concentrated effort not to let her eyes wander any lower. "You would let me borrow it?"</p><p>"Go ahead. You look like you were enjoying it."</p><p>"It's not my usual choice of reading material," she admitted. Her gaze dropped back down to the cover of the book, her fingers stroking the raised Terran characters. "I don't read much fiction."</p><p>"A shame. To me, there is only one thing better than getting lost in a good story."</p><p>"What is that?"</p><p>"Sex," he replied without a trace of embarrassment.</p><p>As he walked over to the wardrobe and began getting dressed for the day, Hermione brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, again trying not to stare at the naked man only a few feet away. She couldn't resist taking a few covert peeks, though, a nasty scar on his back near his left shoulder blade catching her eye. It was the only blemish on his otherwise gorgeous body.</p><p>
  <span>
    <em>A battle wound? </em>
  </span>
  <span>she wondered. The shape and size of the scar suggested a puncture of some sort, perhaps by an arrow. </span>
  <span>As a</span>
  <span>rchers were a prominent part of Earth’s militaries, </span>
  <span>it seemed a likely assumption.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zoisite glanced back at her, stepping into a pair of slacks. “Like what you see?” he asked, a slight smirk on his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione quickly turned her attention back to the book, turning to a random page and holding it close to her nose in order to block the view. “I don’t know what you mean,” she lied, Zoisite letting out a boisterous laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Honestly! The man had no shame.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She did, however, like what she saw. Very much so. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though Hermione was familiar with drawings and statues of the nude male body, and she had researched the anatomical differences between the sexes in the course of her studies in human biology, she had never seen one in the flesh. She risked another peek, biting down on her lower lip as she moved the book over just far enough to the side to catch one more glimpse of his bare buttocks before Zoisite finished pulling up his pants.</span>
</p><p>"Um, I didn't realize you were gay," Hermione said, pushing any inappropriate thoughts out of her mind. After all, he was attracted to men, not women.</p><p>"I'm not.” Selecting a clean shirt from the wardrobe, he pushed his arms through the sleeves.</p><p>She frowned, her brows creasing in confusion as she finally closed the book and set it aside. He wasn't? But… "Was that not Lord Kunzite I saw you kissing earlier?"</p><p>
  <span> "It was." Zoisite smiled, tying his hair back with a thin green ribbon. "And, believe me, I assure you he is very much </span>
  <span>a man</span>
  <span>."</span>
</p><p>"Then…?"</p><p>"I do not discriminate when it comes to whom I take to bed." Walking over, Zoisite placed his hands on the arms of Hermione's chair, looming over her. His shirt remained unbuttoned, his toned abdomen on display. "Pleasure is pleasure and beauty is beauty, no matter what form it may take, be it male or female."</p><p>Hermione's breath hitched at the back of her throat. "Is that so?" she asked, craning her neck to stare up at Zoisite's eyes.</p><p>"I believe so, yes."</p><p>Their faces were so close together that she could feel his warm breath blowing down on her. Hermione closed her eyes, mentally willing him to bridge the gap between them, and soon she felt his lips brushing against hers, soft and feather-light. Her mouth opened slightly, allowing him entrance as Zoisite cupped her face between his hands. He deepened the kiss between them, Hermione responding back in equal measure, but when she reached up to place her hands on his shoulders, he pulled back.</p><p>Left breathless and confused, Hermione opened her eyes.</p><p>"You were going to show me the library?" he reminded her as he finished buttoning his shirt.</p><p>"O-Oh, right." She had almost forgotten. Hermione inhaled a deep breath to calm her racing heartbeat and stood, pressing the book he let her borrow against her chest. "Let's go."</p>
<hr/><p>The library was located in a building on the far side of the palace grounds. As Hermione led Zoisite through the familiar path, she tried her best to push the kiss – her very first – out of her mind, focusing instead on giving him a guided tour of the palace, pointing out various paintings and statues they passed along the way and giving him a brief history of the works. To her surprise, Zoisite seemed genuinely interested in the artwork, asking questions and pausing whenever a certain piece caught his eye.</p><p>
  <span> "You enjoy art," she commented as they came to a stop in front of a painting created by the </span>
  <span>talented</span>
  <span> princess of Neptune, Thalassa. He seemed especially taken with it, </span>
  <span>staring at</span>
  <span> the </span>
  <span>scene of a mermaid perched upon a large rock, waves splashing around her.</span>
</p><p>"Does that surprise you?" Zoisite asked, hands behind his back.</p><p>Everything about him surprised Hermione, to be honest.</p><p>"I enjoy beautiful things, wherever they may be found," he continued when she didn't answer. "In art, in music, in words, in nature…"</p><p>"In the human body?" she asked, remembering what he had said earlier.</p><p>Zoisite chucked. "Yes, that too."</p><p>
  <span> "Is Earth beautiful?" Hermione had often viewed the blue planet from afar, but she had yet to visit Zoisite's home planet. Travel between Earth and the </span>
  <span>M</span>
  <span>oon had been strongly restricted, though once the treaty was signed, that would </span>
  <span>likely</span>
  <span> change.</span>
</p><p>"Parts of it are," Zoisite said after a long pause, the two of them continuing on their way. "Elysion, our home base, is a paradise too stunning for words, but outside the boundary…” He sighed. “Well, it'll take time for some scars to heal, if they ever do."</p><p>He didn't elaborate further than that, but no explanation was necessary. Hermione knew of the recent wars that had plagued the planet. The exact numbers were unknown, but she heard over a half-million soldiers had lost their lives in battle, along with almost as many civilians who wound up caught in the middle of the conflicts through no fault of their own.</p><p>Though she was supposed to be the one leading him to the library, Hermione fell behind Zoisite, staring at his back and remembering the scar she had noticed. They were both soldiers, yet he was so much more experienced than she was when it came to fighting. She'd been involved in some mild skirmishes, battling against the monsters that occasionally appeared, but nothing compared to the bloodshed he must have witnessed – must have caused – as one of the Golden Kingdom's top generals.</p><p>
  <span> Hermione had never taken a human life. It was something she had prepared herself to do, if it meant protecting the life of her princess or defending the kingdom, but every day she hoped it would never come to that, that those on the </span>
  <span>M</span>
  <span>oon would continue to live the peaceful lives they enjoyed under Queen Serenity's rule and the Silver Crystal's power. </span>
  <span>She couldn’t imagine bearing such a heavy weight on her soul.</span>
</p><p>"Which way do we go next?" Zoisite asked.</p><p>Hermione, caught up in her own thoughts, collided with him when he came to a stop.</p><p>It was only his quick reflexes that prevented her from falling on the marble floors, his hand wrapping around her wrist and pulling her back toward him.</p><p>"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she said, mortified. She pulled her hand away. "I-I wasn't paying attention."</p><p>He laughed. “No harm done.”</p><p>They had made it to the end of the corridor, the path breaking into two. Taking the lead once again, Hermione turned to the left and motioned for Zoisite to continue following her.</p><p>It didn't take long after that for them to reach the palace library. Upon walking through the ornate doors, Zoisite let out a low whistle, his eyes wide as he took in the multi-story room, each wall covered with wooden bookshelves filled with more books than any one person could even hope to read in a lifetime.</p><p>"Very impressive…"</p><p>"Lower your voice," Hermione said, bringing a finger to her lips. She nodded toward the tables in the center of the room, where various scribes and scholars sat, their faces buried in books and scrolls. "There are people studying."</p><p>"Oh, sorry," he whispered. "But it's true. I've never seen so many books and scrolls in one place. It puts even our Library of Alexandria to shame."</p><p>Hermione smiled, taking pride in his admiration. It was she who encouraged the queen to expand the formerly modest library to its current state. Her goal was to one day gather copies of every known book ever published, preserving them for future generations to enjoy. "The palace library is the largest in our solar system, hosting books from all nine planets and the Moon and written in over five hundred different languages."</p><p>"I can believe it." Reverently, he ran his fingers over the spines of a group of books on a nearby shelf and selected one at random. "This is written in Jovian," he said, flipping through the pages, "the most widely spoken language on Jupiter."</p><p>"I'm impressed."</p><p>A frown crossed his lips as Zoisite placed the book back on the shelf. "We Earthians are not as ignorant of the other planets as some would like to believe."</p><p>Her eyes widened, horrified by her innocently cruel remark. She had only meant to compliment him, but considering the wide-spread Lunarian stereotype of Earthians as "stupid hicks", she saw how her words could come across as insensitive at best, patronizing at worst. "No, of course not. I didn't mean to impl—"</p><p>"No offense taken," he said, grinning. "It's fine."</p><p>He really had a beautiful smile.</p><p>She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear before heading toward the Earthian section at the back of the library. "Um, our selection of Earthian books is perhaps not the largest, but I can show you what we have…"</p><p>Zoisite reached for her elbow, stopping her. "I would rather see the Mercurian section, if you don't mind."</p><p>"Y-You would?" Composing herself, she shook her head. "I mean, right this way."</p><p>Hermione led him up the spiral staircase to the Mercurian section on the second floor, by far the largest in the library. Due to her native culture's emphasis on knowledge and education, Mercury's citizens produced an abundance of books each year, with the aim of sharing what they learned with the rest of Silver Millennium.</p><p>"Incredible… Did you write any of these books?" Zoisite asked.</p><p>"A few," she admitted. Her duties as a princess and guardian didn't leave her as much time to write as she would have preferred, but she tried to publish at least once a Mercurian year.</p><p>"Which one would you recommend?"</p><p>"I doubt you would find any of my works of interest, Lord Zoisite. I don't write fiction."</p><p>He shrugged. "Sometimes the pursuit of knowledge can be just as gratifying as escaping into your imagination," he said.</p><p>"In that case… Can you read Curian?"</p><p>"Some. I'm a little rusty, though."</p><p>Hermione rubbed her chin, browsing the shelves for a book she thought he might enjoy. Anything too scientific or technical was instantly ruled out. Zoisite didn’t strike her as someone who would be interested in such subjects, and the jargon would be difficult for a non-native speaker to understand. Perhaps something historical, or…</p><p>"Is there a particular subject you enjoy?</p><p>"Botany," he replied after only a short pause. "I've always been interested in plant life, particularly those plants that grow on other planets."</p><p>"Is that so?" Perhaps she had misjudged him. “Well, Princess Zenobia is more of an expert on interplanetary botany, but she did assist me with research on a text I wrote last year on medicinal herbs and poisons.”</p><p>
  <span> “That sounds perfect,” Zoisite said, coming up behind her and reaching for a book on the top shelf, beyond her reach without the aid of a ladder. “Is this the book in question? </span>
  <span>
    <em>A Botanical Encyclopedia Of Interplanetary Medicinal Herbs And Plants</em>
  </span>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Though he wasn’t touching her, Zoisite was still standing close enough to her that Hermione felt the heat radiating off his body, the fragrance of his Earthian cologne tickling her nose with unfamiliar, yet </span>
  <span>enticing</span>
  <span>, scents. She inhaled deeply, attempting to calm her suddenly racing heartbeat.</span>
</p><p>“Y-Yes, that would be the one,” Hermione managed to say.</p><p>"Excellent. I look forward to reading it," he said, his mouth right next to her ear.</p><p>A pleasant shiver ran up her spine, Hermione turning her head just far enough that she could see his face out of the corner of her eye. He was staring at her with that same look he gave her when he had first arrived on the Moon, his mouth only inches away from hers. All she would need to do was move a little closer...</p><p>The sudden appearance of a young woman in the robes of a library page reshelving some books a few feet away from them brought Hermione back to her senses.</p><p>
  <span>What was she doing? She had only just met Zoisite. She wasn’t the type of person who went around kissing random men she barely knew – or any man, for that matter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span> Taking the book back, she motioned for </span>
  <span>Zoisite</span>
  <span> to follow her down to the check-out desk on the ground floor. "I'll check it out for you, as thanks for lending me your book," </span>
  <span>Hermione said.</span>
</p><p>"Thanks. I appreciate it.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>DISCLAIMER: “Sailor Moon” doesn’t belong to me.</p><p>AUTHOR’S NOTES: I hope you enjoyed! I’ll be taking a break from posting over the weekend, so the next chapter will be posted on Monday.</p><p>Feel free to follow me on Tumblr! My username is kaleidodreams.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Following the tour Hermione had given him of the palace’s truly impressive library, it was Zoisite’s turn for guard duty. There wasn’t much for him to do, however, as no one outside of Endymion, Queen Serenity, and the other planetary rulers were allowed inside the conclave where the terms of alliance were being debated and agreed upon.</p><p>It made Zoisite uneasy, to leave Prince Endymion locked in a room with a group of people he didn’t entirely trust. No swords or knives were allowed inside, everyone’s clothes having been thoroughly searched by a man with long white hair and a Moon sigil upon his brow for hidden weapons before stepping inside the room, but that did little to relieve Zoisite’s concerns when dealing with those with unknown powers. He also would have liked to have the opportunity to hear what the other rulers had to say, to see for himself if there appeared to be anyone bearing grudges or ill will toward the Golden Kingdom. Unfortunately, the intel he had gathered at yesterday’s masquerade ball had not been enough to determine whether or not any of the Lunarians had cause to want to incapacitate King Oberon ahead of the meeting.</p><p>Sighing, Zoisite glanced down at the botany book Hermione had recommended to him. There hadn’t been time to return to his bedchambers and drop off the book before the meeting began, so he had brought it with him. It was perhaps a long-shot, but if only he could determine the cause of the king’s sudden illness, it might provide a major clue as to who might be behind the possible poisoning.</p><p>He opened the book to the first page and began reading.</p><p>A few pages in, Zoisite was cursing under his breath and wishing there was a Terran translation available to read instead. His knowledge of Curian was conversational at best. He had severely underestimated the difficulty in reading what was obviously a high-level scientific text, not meant for someone like himself, whose intellectual interests had always leaned more towards the humanities. Still, Hermione’s passion for the subject shone through even his broken translation of the words.</p><p>The Mercurian princess certainly was a remarkable woman. Her intellect was well-known even to those on Earth; there were some who claimed her the smartest person in the known universe, a title Zoisite had no doubt she deserved.</p><p>And she was beautiful, too.</p><p>He ran a finger along his bottom lip, remembering the kiss they shared that morning. All a part of his seduction, of course, yet it would be a lie not to admit he had enjoyed it more than necessary.</p><p>Zoisite shook his head, pushing all thoughts of Hermione out of his head. He needed to concentrate on the task at hand. Later, he would return to the palace library to check if they had a Curian-to-Terran dictionary he could use to help with his translation, but at the moment, he settled for skimming the text for familiar words related to the case.</p><p>Poison. Fainting. Loss of energy. Exhaustion.</p><p>The section on something called a Xenian blossom seemed promising at first, but the only flowers present in the room when King Oberon suddenly lost consciousness were a couple of bouquets of harmless red roses from the palace’s own private gardens. The text also indicated direct contact with the flower through the skin was necessary, so Zoisite eliminated it from the list.</p><p>Another plant, only found on Venus, caused much the same symptoms as King Oberon had experienced when ingested, but with the addition of vivid erotic hallucinations. As he had not seen or heard anything to suggest the king suffering from anything of that sort, he also ruled it out.</p><p>Continuing on, he found a few more possible leads, but nothing definitive. Zoisite pushed back a strand of hair that had fallen out of his ponytail, swearing to himself. He had known the research wouldn’t be as simple as flipping to a random page and pointing at the answer, but he never realized just how many different kinds of plant life there were in the galaxy.</p><p>Even the section on Earthian plants, though featuring only the most well-known species, was thick enough to be a book on its own. Zoisite only gave the pages a cursory flip through, not expecting to find anything noteworthy, but he paused when he came upon a beautiful full-page sketching of a Terran rose.</p><p>Based on the style of the drawing, he suspected it was drawn by the same person who had painted the mermaid Hermione had shown him earlier. His suspicion was confirmed when he saw Princess Thalassa’s elegant signature scrawled in the lower righthand corner. Zoisite traced a finger over the delicate lines of the rose, his mind wandering to a fond childhood memory...</p><p>
  <em>“</em>
  <em>Zach! Zach!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Seven-year-old Zacharias glanced up from the book of fairy tales he had been reading and sighed. His younger (second) cousin Endymion stood in front of him, excitedly bouncing on the balls of his feet. One day in the far future, Endymion was destined to become king of the Golden Kingdom, ruler of Earth, but for now, it was hard to think of the four-year-old prince as anything more than a snot-nosed brat.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “What is it this time, Dimi?” he asked, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Guess what, I learned a magic trick!” Endymion said, clapping his hands together. “Do you wanna see? Do you? Do you?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Not particularly, no. It was probably some stupid slight-of-hand illusion that he would be able to figure out in ten seconds. Real magic only existed in the fairy tales Z</em>
  <em>acharias</em>
  <em> loved to read. But if he refused, Endymion would probably run crying off to Aunt Aurelia to tattle on him, resulting in his mother taking away his book in punishment and his father giving him another long, boring lecture when they returned back to the Zoisite estate </em>
  <em>later that afternoon</em>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>That was unacceptable.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “</em>
  <em>Okay, w</em>
  <em>hat is it?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Come with me!” Endymion grabbed Zacharias’s hand, y</em>
  <em>anking on his arm until he set his book aside and stood from his seat on the wooden swing. “This way,” the little prince said, Zacharias having no choice but to follow.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Endymion led him through the royal gardens, Zacharias starting to worry when he realized how far they had gone. They were supposed to stay within sight of their mothers, who were </em>
  <em>chatting and</em>
  <em> having tea on the gazebo. </em>
  <em>Looking over his shoulder, he could barely make out his mother’s figure in the distance.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Dimi, stop,” Zacharias said, grabbing him by the shoulder. “We have to go back. We’ll get in trouble.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “It’s okay. Mama won’t mind. I play back here all the time.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Maybe Endymion’s mother wouldn’t, but his definitely would. “Dimi...”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “</em>
  <em>Just follow me!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> That time, he did roll his eyes. Why couldn’t Endymion do his silly magic trick where they were? Was the location really that important? Still, Zacharias had to admit he was becoming a little curious, despite himself. With a defeated sigh, he continued following Endymion until they reached King Oberon’s prized rose bushes near the far eastern wall of the gardens.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Now, watch!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Endymion rolled up the sleeves of his tunic, then, before Zacharias h</em>
  <em>ad a chance to</em>
  <em> stop him, wrapped his hand around </em>
  <em>one of the thorn-covered stems.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Horrified, Zacharias grabbed Endymion’s a</em>
  <em>rm and started shaking it</em>
  <em>. “Dimi, what the hell are you doing? Let go!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Endymion shook his head, refusing even though Zacharias could see tears in his eyes. Blood began s</em>
  <em>eeping</em>
  <em> through the cracks between his finger</em>
  <em>s, dripping down his hand and arm.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “</em>
  <em>N</em>
  <em>ow!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Not knowing what else to do, Zacharias slapped Endymion, </em>
  <em>hard, on the wrist</em>
  <em>. </em>
  <em>The shock surprised him enough that Endymion finally released his hold on the rose. His hand was completely covered in scratches.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Are you stupid?” he shouted, Endymion bursting into tears. Zacharias pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and tried to dab away some of the blood. “You know it’s dangerous to touch a rose’s thorns!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Oh, he was going to be in so much trouble! Letting the prince get hurt was bad. Really bad. Like “get locked up in the dungeon” bad, </em>
  <em>probably.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> And his father was going to be </em>
  <em>absolutely</em>
  <em> furious.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “</em>
  <em>Oh, for the love of Terra, s</em>
  <em>top crying, Dimi! </em>
  <em>It’s your own fault. What were you trying to do, anyway?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I’m curious to hear the answer to that question myself,” a man’s voice said from behind them.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Zacharias froze, recognizing that voice. It belonged to King Oberon, Endymion’s father. The king placed a hand on his shoulder, surprisingly gentle considering </em>
  <em>the harm he had let befall his son.</em>
</p><p><em> “Uncle Ober</em><em>–</em><em> I mean, Your Majesty!”</em> <em>Zoisite pivoted around and bowed </em><em>at his waist, </em><em>eyes squeezed shut</em><em>. “</em><em>I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. I </em><em>–</em><em>”</em></p><p>
  <em> “</em>
  <em>Be at ease, Zacharias. I do not fault you.” </em>
  <em>The king </em>
  <em>affectionately ruffle</em>
  <em>d</em>
  <em> his hair before kneeling down in front of his </em>
  <em>sobbing</em>
  <em> son t</em>
  <em>o examine Endymion’s bloodied palm. “Oh, dear,” he said with a sigh. “You’ve done quite a number on yourself, my Endymion. Will you try to calm down and tell me what you were doing, playing with my roses when I’ve told you many times before not to touch them without permission?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Nodding, Endymion took in a couple of deep breaths, his sobs beginning to soften, and swiped his free arm across his watery eyes. “I was – I was gonna show Zach a...a magic trick,” </em>
  <em>he said, sniffling.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Magic trick? What kind of magic trick?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “</em>
  <em>I’ll show you, too, Papa. Watch!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Endymion pulled his injured hand out of his father’s grasp and brought both of his palms together in front of his face as if in prayer.</em>
  <em> After a few seconds, h</em>
  <em>is </em>
  <em>hands began glowing with a soft golden light. </em>
  <em>Zacharias covere</em>
  <em>d</em>
  <em> his mouth, </em>
  <em>shaking</em>
  <em> his head, and took a step back.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> No, it was impossible. Magic didn’t really exist. It was only something that happened in fairy tales...</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Yet when the golden light faded away, Endymion’s hand was completely healed, not even a hint of a scratch on him. “See?” He held up his palm in front of his father’s face. “All better!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “</em>
  <em>Y-</em>
  <em>Yes, that’s amazing, Endymion,” King Oberon said. </em>
  <em>He seemed half in shock, half in awe, looking over Endymion’s hand more thoroughly. “Amazing,” he repeated mostly to himself. “Is it truly possible...?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Zacharias didn’t think it was amazing at all. It was weird and freaky. Humans weren’t supposed to be able to heal themselves like that.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Zacharias? Zacharias?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Zacharias jumped, startled when he realized King Oberon had been calling his name. “Yes, Your Majesty?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The king picked Endymion up. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anybody about what you witnessed today,” he said, Endymion burying his face in his shoulder. “Endymion is special, but I’m afraid some people might not be ready to accept his newfound powers. Can you keep it a secret between us?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> A secret?</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “</em>
  <em>I...” Zacharias sighed, his shoulders slumping. What other choice did he have? He couldn’t disobey the king. “Yes, Your Majesty. I promise I won’t tell anybody else what happened.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Good.” King Oberon smiled, offering his free hand. “Now, come. Let’s return to your mothers. Aurelia and Xanthippe are probably worried sick by now.”</em>
</p><p>Zoisite smiled sadly. He’d always envied Endymion’s close relationship with his father. King Oberon loved and accepted Endymion completely, even when it was discovered that he possessed strange, supernatural powers. In comparison, Zoisite had never felt good enough in his own father’s eyes. General Zebulon Zoisite had held him up to impossible standards, finding him lacking in everything he considered important...</p><p>He shook his head. Now was not the time for reminiscing. He turned the page and got back to work, determined to find the answers he was searching for.</p>
<hr/><p>Princess Serenity was dreamier than usual during Hermione’s morning astronomy lecture, not paying attention to a single word she said. A single red Terran rose, lovingly placed in a crystalline vase, had captured the princess’s attention – a gift from Prince Endymion the night before. Normally, Hermione would be annoyed by Serenity’s absent-mindedness, but ever since the kiss she shared with Zoisite that morning, she had been finding it difficult to concentrate as well.</p><p>“Uranus is the only planet in our solar system that rotates on its side. There are several theories about why that is, but the most popular among astronomers is that...” Realizing it was pointless to continue, Hermione set down the piece of chalk in her hand and smiled. “You really do like him, don’t you? The Earthian prince?”</p><p>“W-What?” Startled from her daydreaming, Serenity straightened her posture and flipped a couple of random pages in the open book laying in front of her. “No, of course not! I mean, Prince Endymion certainly is kind, but…” She sighed as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders, resting her head down on the book. “Oh, Hermione, why did I have to be born a Lunarian?”</p><p>Hermione tilted her head to the side. “What a strange question! Do you dislike living on the Moon so much?”</p><p>“No, not at all!” Serenity said, head popping back up. “I love it here, but…”</p><p>She rose to her feet, walking over to the window where she had placed the vase on the ledge to give the rose some sunlight. Plucking the rose from the vase, she brought its deep crimson petals to her nose as she stared down at the gardens below.</p><p>“What is it, Your Highness?” Hermione asked.</p><p>“I want to tell you, but I can’t,” Serenity said. “Ishtar warned me not to tell anybody else.”</p><p>“Ishtar?” Had their leader been hiding something from them? That wasn’t like her. “You know you can tell us anything, right? There’s no need for secrets.”</p><p>“Yes, but… Oh, I’m so tired of hiding how I feel!” Serenity turned away from the window to face Hermione. “I...I’m in love with Endymion,” she confessed. “I have been for a very long time.”</p><p>Love? “But you’ve only just met!”</p><p>Serenity shook her head. “We’ve known each other for more than a year.”</p><p>“A year? How is that possible?”</p><p>Bashfully, Serenity rubbed the back of her neck. “I...may have visited Elysion a few times in secret?”</p><p>Hermione’s eyes widened. “You…!” She moved closer to Serenity, placing her hands on her upper arms. Although they were the only two people in the room, she instinctively lowered her voice. “You went down to Earth, on your own? Do you realize how dangerous that was?”</p><p>“It was only the first couple of times I went there by myself,” Serenity said, her eyes refusing to meet Hermione’s. “Ishtar accompanied me the other times, after catching us together. Since I refused to stop seeing him, she agreed to help us be together as long as she came with me.”</p><p>Ishtar not only knew of the affair, but had been helping Serenity rendezvous with the prince of a planet that until recently contact had been all but forbidden? Hermione let go of her hold on Serenity’s arms, rubbing at her forehead. Though she was aware that love was the most important aspect of Venusian culture, Hermione couldn’t believe Ishtar would disregard her duty as the leader of the princess’s guardians like that. If something had happened to Princess Serenity while she was visiting Earth…</p><p>“I know it was wrong of me,” Serenity continued, “but I was curious about what life was like on Earth. Then I met him, and…” Her eyes lighting up, she clasped Hermione’s hands between her own. “Oh, Hermione, he’s the most handsome and wonderful man I’ve ever met!”</p><p>“That may well be, but you know members of the planetary royal families are not allowed to intermarry by the laws of the alliance,” Hermione gently reminded her. “A flirtation is fine, but to want anything more than that –”</p><p>Tears starting to well in her eyes, Serenity released Hermione’s hands. “I never asked to be born a princess. I only want to marry and live with the man I love. Is that such a crime?”</p><p>“Oh, Serenity…”</p><p>“It’s a stupid law anyway!” Serenity plopped down in a nearby armchair in a very unprincess-like fashion, crossing her arms over her chest. “What about Celestine and Thalassa?” she asked, referring to the princesses of Uranus and Neptune. “They love each other, too, yet because of the alliance, they’re not allowed to get married either. It isn’t fair.”</p><p>“There are complicated political reasons why –”</p><p>“I don’t care.” Sniffling, Serenity wiped away a tear that had begun rolling down her cheek. “I-I love him. I really, really do. I know it’s wrong, but –”</p><p>Her voice cracked. Hermione kneeled down in front of Serenity and embraced her, allowing the heart-broken princess to sob on her shoulder as she rubbed comforting circles on her back. She had assumed Serenity’s feelings for Endymion were only a girlish infatuation, but they clearly ran much deeper than that. What was Ishtar thinking, encouraging Serenity’s crush on the Earthian prince when she knew they ultimately wouldn’t be allowed to be together?</p><p>“I’m so sorry, Serenity,” Hermione said when her cries began to subside, pulling a handkerchief out of her pocket and wiping the tears off Serenity’s face. “I hate seeing you so unhappy…”</p><p>“It’s not your fault.”</p><p>“Maybe not, but… Is there anything I can do to cheer you up?”</p><p>Serenity shook her head, taking Hermione’s handkerchief and using it to blow her nose. “No, I don’t think so… Wait.” She looked up, her eyes rimmed with red. “There is something I’ve been wanting to do.”</p><p>“What is it? If it is within my power, I will try my best to help.”</p><p>“I...want to go skating. With Endymion.”</p><p>“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Hermione said. She wanted to see Serenity smile again, but helping her go on a romantic outing with her forbidden lover seemed counter-intuitive. “Besides, it is not yet winter. It will be several months before Lake Serenitatis is scheduled to freeze over.”</p><p>As Queen Serenity used the power of her Silver Crystal to control the environment on the Moon, there were no surprises when it came to the weather. Everything from rain to snow was planned in advance, sticking to a precise and predictable schedule. Hermione thought the reminder of that fact would discourage Serenity, but the princess grasped Hermione’s hand, squeezing it.</p><p>“You could use your powers to freeze it!” she suggested. “Oh, please, Hermione! I promised Endymion that one day I would take him skating. He’s so been looking forward to it!”</p><p>“Your Highness…”</p><p>“I know…” Sighing, Serenity loosened her grip on Hermione’s hand. “I’ll break it off with him...soon,” she promised. “But Earth is not yet a member of Silver Millennium. Until then, I want to enjoy what little time we have left.”</p><p>Hermione bit down on her bottom lip, conflicted. She could do what Serenity asked. That wasn’t an issue. She had never tried to freeze such a large body of water before, but it was within her powers to do so. However, she still felt like delaying the inevitable would only make it more difficult for Serenity to end her affair with Endymion when the time came.</p><p>“Please,” Serenity begged one more time in a soft voice. “Give me one more night of happiness before my heart is broken. That's all I ask.”</p><p>“Okay,” Hermione said, unable to resist when she put it like that. “If it will really make you happy, I will freeze Lake Serenitatis for you to skate.”</p>
<hr/><p>Later that evening, Zoisite was at the library, using the Curian-to-Terran dictionary he found to help with his translation of Hermione’s book. He’d been at it all afternoon, although he wasn’t much closer to finding the source of the king’s illness than he was before. He was beginning to think he was following the wrong path.</p><p>Sighing, he turned the page and pinched the bridge of his nose. The Curian characters were becoming blurry and hard to read. He glanced over at the clock, blinking to make certain his tired eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. It was already that late? Not only had he missed lunch, but dinner, too. His stomach grumbled at the reminder, but there was no time to eat. He was assigned to be Endymion’s evening guard, and he was already running behind.</p><p>Cursing under his breath, he gathered his scattered notes and slipped them inside Hermione’s book. He left the dictionary on the desk, then headed to the prince’s bedchambers, taking a brief detour along the way to drop the book off at his own room along the way.</p><p>“It’s about time you showed up,” Jadeite said as he answered the door. “Where have you been all day?”</p><p>“Investigating,” Zoisite replied, lowering his voice. He wasn’t certain how much Kunzite had told Jadeite and Nephrite, so he left it at that. “Has anything of note happened?”</p><p>“Nothing worth mentioning.” He glanced over his shoulder at Endymion, who was staring out the window, forehead pressed against the glass. “Except that Princess Serenity has extended an invitation to His Highness to go...skating?”</p><p>Zoisite arched an eyebrow. “Skating?” He had never heard of such a thing.</p><p>“Apparently it is some sort of Lunarian activity involving the wearing of special boots equipped with blades on the soles to dance on frozen water.”</p><p>“But it is not yet winter on the Moon. Where are we to find this ‘frozen water’?”</p><p>Jadeite shrugged. “All I know is that you and Prince Endymion are to meet the princess and one of her guardians at Lake Serenitatis,” he said before turning back toward the prince. He placed his right palm over his heart and bowed his head. “I ask to take my leave, Your Highness. Zoisite has come to relieve me.”</p><p>For the first time since Zoisite arrived, Endymion pulled away from the window, blinking as if surprised to find he wasn’t alone. “Yes, of course, Jadeite,” he said. “You are dismissed. I will see you tomorrow.”</p><p>Jadeite bowed one more time before leaving the room.</p><p>After closing the door behind him, Zoisite assumed the same position. “Forgive my tardiness, Your Highness. I lost track of time.”</p><p>Endymion smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Again with the formalities...”</p><p>“A slip of the tongue, Yo– I mean, Endymion.” At least Endymion seemed to have forgiven him for their argument; things had been somewhat tense between them since their arrival on the Moon. “How did the meeting go?”</p><p>He sighed, glancing back out the window. “Well enough, I suppose. There are a few more terms we need to discuss, but if all goes to plan, I think I will be ready to sign the treaty by the end of the day tomorrow.”</p><p>It was supposed to be good news, yet Endymion didn’t seem as pleased about it as Zoisite thought he would be. Before he was able to pry further, however, Endymion turned fully around, smiling more genuinely.</p><p>“Enough politics for one night, though. Princess Serenity has invited us to go skating with her and Princess Hermione,” he said.</p><p>“So I’ve heard, although I still don’t quite understand this ‘skating’ business.”</p><p>“Neither do I, but we’re about to find out. Come, we mustn’t keep them waiting.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>DISCLAIMER: “Sailor Moon” doesn’t belong to me.</p><p>AUTHOR’S NOTES: I hope you enjoyed! Next chapter will be up tomorrow.</p><p>Feel free to follow me on Tumblr! My username is kaleidodreams.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lake Serenitatis was too far a trek to make on foot, so Endymion and Zoisite borrowed a couple of gray horses from the palace stables, following the map Hermione had provided for them. When they arrived, she and the crown princess were already there, waiting for them. Serenity gathered her skirts and ran over to greet them, throwing her arms around Endymion as soon as he dismounted the stallion.</p>
<p>“Endymion, you came!”</p>
<p>“Of course I did, my darling,” Endymion said, placing his hands on her cheeks and chastely kissing the moon sigil on her forehead. “I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.”</p>
<p>Zoisite raised an eyebrow. The two of them seemed surprisingly close considering they had only met the day before. Not that he was one to judge, but he had never known Endymion to be so affectionate toward a woman aside from his late mother.</p>
<p>Hermione was slower in joining them, but she smiled as she assisted Zoisite in tying the two horses to a nearby tree. “Good evening, Lord Zoisite. I’m glad you and Prince Endymion could make it. Princess Serenity has greatly been looking forward to it.”</p>
<p>“Yes, good evening.” He frowned, staring out at the vastness of Lake Serenitatis. The crystal clear water was as calm as its name indicated, but very much not frozen. “I was led to believe there would be ‘frozen water’,” he said. “Isn’t that necessary for skating?”</p>
<p>Overhearing, Serenity giggled, pulling away from Endymion’s embrace and coming over to wrap an arm around Hermione’s shoulders. “Hermione is going to freeze the water for us with her powers. Go ahead, show them,” she said, lightly shoving Hermione forward like a mother showing off a talented child.</p>
<p>“As you wish, Your Highness.”</p>
<p>From some sort of subspace pocket, Hermione pulled out what appeared to be a miniature staff topped with the sigil of Mercury. She held the staff above her head and shouted, “Mercury Power, make-up!” At the command, her flowing blue dress dissolved away and ribbons of water burst forth, wrapping around Hermione’s limbs and torso in one of the most stunning displays Zoisite had ever seen. He stood, transfixed, unable to take his eyes off of her during the transformation. When the ribbons finally faded away, she was dressed in her Sailor Mercury uniform as she was when they first met.</p>
<p>Hermione then turned to face the lake, kneeling down at the water’s edge. She held her hands flat above the water, palms facing downward, and recited an incantation Zoisite couldn’t quite hear. Her hands began glowing a soft blue, the water underneath them freezing in almost an instant. It didn’t stop there, however. The ice continued to spread out to cover the entire lake, the surface of the water becoming flat and smooth like a mirror before their very eyes.</p>
<p>“Incredible,” Zoisite murmured to himself.</p>
<p>Grabbing Endymion’s arm, an overly excited Serenity started pulling him toward the frozen lake. “Come on!”</p>
<p>“Wait, don’t we need...skates? Is that what they are called?” Endymion asked.</p>
<p>“Oh, right! I forgot.”</p>
<p>Since Endymion and Zoisite didn’t have skates of their own, Hermione had brought along a couple of pairs for them to borrow. As she had to guess at their sizes, the pair she gave to Zoisite were slightly too tight, pinching his toes, but he could live with the discomfort for an hour or so. He watched Princess Serenity lead Endymion out onto the ice, the prince taking short, hesitant strokes forward as she held both his hands to help with his balance.</p>
<p>“Is it safe?” he asked Hermione, who was sitting on the bench next to him, tying her skates. She was still transformed, claiming that her uniform was easier to move around in than her dress.</p>
<p>“If you’re worried about the ice, it should remain solid for at least six hours or so, and it’s very thick,” Hermione said. “There’s very little chance of it cracking while we skate.”</p>
<p>That was good to know, although it was more the “dancing on ice” part that concerned him. Endymion had already fallen once, laughing as Serenity helped him back to his feet and brushed off some of the tiny ice shards that clung to the back of his clothes.</p>
<p>Well, he had suffered through more difficult exercises during his military training; how hard could skating possibly be? Even Princess Serenity, whom he had witnessed tripping over her own feet no less than five times since their arrival on the Moon – if not more – skated with ease, somehow much more graceful on the ice than she was on land. After he finished tying his boots, Zoisite stood and took a hesitant step onto the icy surface. His legs shook at first, struggling to find his balance over the thin blades, but after bringing his arms out to his sides, he felt a little more stable.</p>
<p>“Would you like me to teach you?” Hermione asked, joining him on the ice.</p>
<p>“Thank you, but I think I have the general idea,” Zoisite said. “You can go ahead.”</p>
<p>The look on her face indicated she didn’t quite believe him, but as she was too polite to argue, Hermione skated a few feet away and began spinning in place, one leg lifted elegantly behind her as she arched her back and held her arms aloft. Mesmerized by the sight, Zoisite momentarily forgot where he was, sliding forward only to find himself wobbling and flailing his arms around before ultimately falling to the ice.</p>
<p>Hearing his shouted curse, Hermione stopped her spinning and gasped. “Are you all right, Lord Zoisite?” she asked, skating over to help him stand back up. To her credit, she didn’t laugh, even though he wouldn’t have blamed her in the least after he brushed off her earlier offer to help teach him.</p>
<p>“Yes, I think so.” He rubbed at his hip bone. It would probably leave a bruise, but nothing appeared to be broken at least. “Perhaps a lesson wouldn’t be such a bad idea,” he admitted sheepishly. “If the offer is still open?”</p>
<p>She smiled, holding out her gloved hand. “Of course, my lord.”</p>
<p>He took the offered hand, letting Hermione teach him the proper way to skate. She was an excellent teacher. After only fifteen minutes of her instruction, Zoisite had learned enough to feel confident stroking around the ice on his own, although Hermione stayed nearby, skating beside him in case he needed a balance check.</p>
<p>“So, this is a popular pastime for those on the Moon?” he asked. “You’re quite good at it. That spin maneuver you did earlier was beautiful.”</p>
<p>A faint blush colored her cheeks. “Oh, no, my skill level is only average. Princess Serenity and Zenobia are much better skaters than I, especially Zenobia. She can even do revolving jumps on the ice.”</p>
<p>“Jumps?” Zoisite could barely manage gliding across the ice on two feet; he couldn’t even imagine performing any kind of jump.</p>
<p>“Yes, they’re really spectacular.” Suddenly, Hermione clapped her hands together. “You should visit again during our Winter Games. You’d be able to see all the best skaters there. Zenobia always wins the skating competition.”</p>
<p>“An invitation? Do you want to see me again that badly?” He grinned, playing it off as a light flirtation.</p>
<p>Her cheeks grew pinker as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, but Hermione didn’t respond, looking away to watch Endymion and Princess Serenity.</p>
<p>Zoisite frowned, wondering why he had asked that in the first place. He was supposed to be seducing Hermione for information, yet the more time they spent together, the more he felt like she was the one unwittingly seducing him.</p>
<p>“The prince and princess have certainly grown close in such a short period of time,” he said, nodding to the two in question in an attempt to change the subject. The princess was currently skating on one foot in what appeared to be a figure-eight pattern on the ice, Endymion unsuccessfully trying to imitate her moves.</p>
<p>Hermione abruptly came to a stop, Zoisite moving ahead of her.</p>
<p>“Princess Hermione?” He looked back at her over his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Sorry.” She caught up to him, linking her arm through his. “I-I feel like I should tell you something, but...”</p>
<p>“What is it?”</p>
<p>After a long pause, she said, “It’s about Princess Serenity and your prince... The truth is, they’ve met before. Many times, in fact.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Zoisite didn’t see how that was possible. Endymion had never set foot on the Moon until they arrived yesterday.</p>
<p>“I’ve only recently learned of it, but Her Highness confessed to me that she has been sneaking down to Earth for the past year with the aid of Princess Ishtar.”</p>
<p>It was Zoisite’s turn to stop that time, his eyes widening. “What? But how?” Turning to face her, he grabbed Hermione’s upper arms. “When was the last time they visited?” He hated to suspect Princess Serenity or Princess Ishtar of foul play, but if they were in Elysion the night the king fell ill...</p>
<p>Hermione shook her head. “I-I don’t know all the details. She didn’t tell me much. She’s in love with Prince Endymion, though. Very much so.”</p>
<p>Zoisite loosened his grip on her, his hands falling back down to his side. He had suspected, but... “In love, huh?”</p>
<p>“My heart breaks for her...for them,” she admitted. “Once Earth joins Silver Millennium, Prince Endymion will be forbidden from ever marrying her.”</p>
<p>His mind rewound back to earlier that evening, when he had arrived at Endymion’s bedchambers for guard duty. That must have been why the prince was brooding. “So, tonight is their farewell?”</p>
<p>“Yes, Princess Serenity promised she would break things off with Prince Endymion if I granted her this one wish.”</p>
<p>Sighing, he glanced once again at Princess Serenity and Endymion. They had also stopped skating, embracing and kissing as if their very lives depended on it.</p>
<p>“That’s probably for the best,” he said. Even if the marriage wasn’t forbidden, he doubted an engagement between Endymion and Silver Millennium’s crown princess would go over well with the populace, even those who were otherwise in favor of the alliance. Endymion was expected to marry an Earthian girl of noble blood, not the powerful heir to a galactic empire.</p>
<p>“Yes, I suppose...” She began rubbing her bare arms, visibly shuddering.</p>
<p>“Are you cold?”</p>
<p>“There seems to be a chill in the air,” she said, frowning. “Strange, I don’t recall there being a temperature drop scheduled this evening. It was supposed to be warm and temperate.”</p>
<p>“Might it be because of the ice?”</p>
<p>“It shouldn’t have an effect on the weather. It’s magical ice, created to withstand warm temperatures.”</p>
<p>“Well, here.” Zoisite unbuttoned his jacket and wrapped it around her shivering shoulders. Without the extra layer, he started to feel the chill as well, but that was fine. Hermione, in her skimpy uniform, needed it much more than he did. “That should help.”</p>
<p>“No, I couldn’t –”</p>
<p>He smiled, still holding onto the jacket. “You can. I insist.”</p>
<p>“Thank you.”</p>
<p>She craned her neck to look up at him, Zoisite struck once again by her beauty. The cold had caused her face to flush, streaks of pink coloring her pale cheeks and the very tip of her nose. The temperature continued to rapidly drop, their breath visible in the freezing air, yet Zoisite barely noticed, his body heat rising. As if a moth drawn by a flame, he bent down for a kiss, but before their lips met, he noticed a snowflake landing in Hermione’s dark blue hair.</p>
<p>“What the –” He looked up at the sky.</p>
<p>“Something is definitely wrong,” Hermione said. “It should not be snowing!”</p>
<p>They both went on high alert, moving back-to-back as they looked around the vicinity. Nothing unusual caught Zoisite’s eye, other than the strange snow.</p>
<p>“There!”</p>
<p>Zoisite turned back around, just in time to see a large icicle barrelling toward Endymion and Serenity. The two lovebirds were still so wrapped in each other that they hadn’t even noticed the out-of-season snow.</p>
<p>Zoisite shouted Endymion’s name at the same time Hermione called for her princess.</p>
<p>Endymion broke off the kiss, their shouts alerting him to the presence of the icicle. He abruptly pushed Serenity backwards, himself falling back on his posterior as the icicle zoomed by where they had stood. Only a second later, and the icicle would have hit them straight on.</p>
<p>“Endymion!” Princess Serenity screamed, skating over to him.</p>
<p>Relieved, Zoisite looked toward the origin of the icicle.</p>
<p>It was a woman – or at least, it had the shape of a human female. Zoisite had never seen someone with such pale skin before, though, so white that it glowed in the darkness. Its hair was jet black, as were its eyes, and it wore robes that almost matched its skintone. The only hint of color were its blood-red lips, deadly seductive. Fog hovered near its feet, making it difficult to tell if it was standing on the ice or floating above it, but it moved quickly, sending out another icicle in what appeared to be Princess Serenity’s direction.</p>
<p>“Shine Aqua Illusion!”</p>
<p>A blast of water spewed forth from Hermione’s hands, knocking the icicle off its intended course as Endymion yanked Serenity down on the ice with him, using his body as a shield.</p>
<p>“I’ll protect Serenity,” he shouted. “You two focus on fighting that...creature.”</p>
<p>Zoisite frowned. It was his sworn duty to protect the prince. He didn’t like the idea of leaving Endymion unguarded, vulnerable to attack, but with nobody else around, there seemed little choice in the matter.</p>
<p>But how the hell was he supposed to fight that...monster? Demon? He was trained to kill humans, not supernatural entities.</p>
<p>Noticing that Hermione no longer had his jacket hanging from her shoulders, Zoisite looked down at the ice and found it laying at her feet. He snatched it up and put it back on as Hermione prevented yet another icicle from hitting its targets. The monster only seemed interested in trying to attack Endymion and Serenity, so far leaving him and Hermione alone.</p>
<p>“Do you have any weapons?” Hermione asked, her voice low.</p>
<p>Zoisite reached inside his jacket, his fingers wrapping around the hilt of a short knife. “Daggers, but not many of them.” He had left his sword on the bench, assuming it would only get in the way while he skated – a decision he now regretted. “We need to distract it, give them time to get off the ice and hide.”</p>
<p>“Agreed. Let’s split up. Divide its attention.”</p>
<p>He nodded, and she sprinted across the ice, sending an attack toward the monster while it was forming another icicle in between its spread hands. The monster wailed in pain, the sound like an eerie echo in what was fast becoming a winter wonderland as the snow had begun to fall more heavily around them. Zoisite could barely see through the blinding blizzard, but he took some comfort in that the monster was probably in the same situation, unable to see them as well.</p>
<p>At least he hoped, for Endymion and Serenity’s sake.</p>
<p>Knowing that he couldn’t keep standing where he was, he hesitantly skated forward, heart pounding and dagger in hand. Hermione’s name sat on his tongue, yet he kept silent, Zoisite not wanting to alert the monster to her position.</p>
<p>A flash of flowing black hair passed through his field of vision. He took a chance and threw the dagger toward it, but only succeeded in catching the monster’s attention – and fury. It turned toward him, giving Zoisite the first real look at its face. From far away, he had thought it somewhat beautiful, but up close, it held no real beauty, its face twisted in rage.</p>
<p>As Zoisite awkwardly attempted to skate backwards – Hermione hadn’t given him that lesson yet – he reached inside his jacket, searching for another hidden dagger. Only three left. He would need to be prudent in when and how he used them.</p>
<p>The monster formed another icicle in between its hands. With a wordless shout, it let loose, the icicle barrelling toward Zoisite at lightning speed.</p>
<p><em>I </em><em>need</em><em> to dodge. </em>That was what his mind was yelling at him, yet his body stood frozen in place, refusing to obey his brain’s orders.</p>
<p>The icicle became an arrow, soaring through Earth’s clear blue skies.</p>
<p>He heard someone shout his name in the distance. Kunzite? Hermione? Endymion?</p>
<p>“Steamy Geyser Burst!”</p>
<p>It was the burst of steaming water cracking through the ice that broke him from his stupor, Zoisite tripping over his blades as he stepped backwards to avoid being hit like the icicle that had been hurtling toward him. He once again fell hard to the ice, the dagger that he’d been holding flying out of his hand and sliding across the slippery surface, into the hole left behind by the geyser.</p>
<p>Down to two. Damn.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?” Hermione asked after shooting off another attack at the monster, her back turned to him. He wasn’t sure how she managed to get there so fast, but there was no time to question it.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I think so,” Zoisite panted as he managed to sit back up, rummaging around the inside of his jacket for one of the remaining daggers.</p>
<p>He needed to focus. Endymion was counting on him. This wasn’t the time for one of his hallucinations.</p>
<p>“Be careful!” Hermione said, dodging out of the way of another icicle. “The ice is becoming unstable.”</p>
<p>Indeed, thanks to her attack, there were visible cracks surrounding the hole, the fissures spreading at an alarming rate. Zoisite scrambled back to his feet, moving to a more stable area of the ice.</p>
<p>At least their plan to divert the monster’s attention away from Endymion and Serenity was working. The monster seemed to have forgotten all about its original targets, its focus switching to Hermione. With her skating skills and guardian-enhanced speed, Hermione was managing to evade the monster’s attacks, but Zoisite had no idea how much longer she would be able to keep up with such a relentless pace.</p>
<p>He narrowed his eyes. In order to defeat the monster, they needed to attack. However, the water spells Hermione occasionally threw at it didn’t have much of an effect on it, the monster seeming to consider them a minor annoyance at most. The geyser attack she used earlier could prove useful if she could manage to hit the monster, but if Hermione used it too much, she risked cracking the ice even more, putting them both in danger.</p>
<p>If only they could get the monster to stay in one spot...</p>
<p>Zoisite pulled his final dagger out of his jacket, gripping the hilt of each knife in his fists as he skated to an area about twenty feet behind the monster. Using both at once meant he would only have one last chance, but right now was his best opportunity. The monster apparently did not consider him a threat, continuing to focus on fighting Hermione.</p>
<p>He waited until the monster was preoccupied with forming another icicle, then raced forward as fast as he could in his skates, daggers raised. As Zoisite purposely collided with the monster, the small knives pierced its back, green-colored blood dyeing the once-white robe it wore. The monster screamed and thrashed about, spinning around as it brought its leg up in a high kick. Letting go of his grip on the knives, Zoisite only had enough time to shield his face with his arms, the blade on the bottom of the monster’s foot slashing across his right forearm, sharp enough to cut through both his jacket and shirt to reach his skin. He cried out, Hermione shouting his name.</p>
<p>Blood spilled forth, dripping down his arm and onto the ice, but Zoisite forced himself to ignore the pain. “Now, Hermione!” he yelled.</p>
<p>Though they hadn’t been able to coordinate their plans beforehand, Hermione was quick on the uptake. She cast her geyser attack once again, a burst of steaming water sprouting from the ice directly underneath the monster. Its high-pitched wails of anguish filled the air, Zoisite wincing at the horrific sound, but after a minute or so, the monster went silent, its body – including its clothes – dissolving into a strange glittery dust into the water.</p>
<p>With the monster finally defeated, the blizzard came to an end as well, the snow disappearing from the ground as if it had never fallen at all. An illusion? It had felt so realistic, though.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the cut on his arm was no such illusion. He looked down to find the bottom of his coat sleeve soaked through in red. Feeling a little woozy from the loss of blood – a situation surely not helped by the fact that he had not eaten in hours – Zoisite collapsed to his knees on the ice, bringing his injured arm to his chest and using his other hand to apply pressure to the wound.</p>
<p>“Zacharias!”</p>
<p>Zoisite sighed in relief as he saw Endymion clumsily skate his way over to him. Neither he nor Princess Serenity, who skated over to Hermione, crying as she threw her arms around her guardian, seemed to be harmed.</p>
<p>“Zacharias, hold on,” Endymion said as he drew closer. “I’ll use my pow–”</p>
<p>Zoisite shook his head, cutting Endymion off before he revealed too much. They’d agreed that until after the alliance was signed, it was best to keep the exact nature of his powers a secret. It wasn’t a life-threatening wound. It hurt like hell, but he’d be fine getting treated by more traditional means – even if he hated the thought of another scar.</p>
<p>“I’m okay,” he insisted through gritted teeth, pushing himself back to his feet. “Stay back, Your Highness. The ice is –”</p>
<p>
  <em>Crack.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>DISCLAIMER: “Sailor Moon” doesn’t belong to me.</p>
<p>AUTHOR’S NOTES: I hope you enjoyed! Sorry for the evil cliffhanger, but next chapter will be up tomorrow, so at least you won’t have to wait too long to find out Zoisite’s fate.</p>
<p>A big thank you to Samus, who gave me some great advice about writing fight scenes, and to teamvanessacloud, who introduced me to the tsurara-onna yokai that served as inspiration for the youma. If you’d like to learn more about the tsurara-onna, check out this link: http://yokai.com/tsuraraonna/. </p>
<p>Feel free to follow me on Tumblr! My username is kaleidodreams.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Lord Zoisite!</em>
</p><p>The second she heard the ice start to crack, Hermione sprung into action, but she was too late. Zoisite plunged into the water below as Prince Endymion shouted his name.</p><p>“I’m going after him,” the prince said, already shedding his cape.</p><p>“No, you stay here, Your Highness,” Hermione said, holding out her arm to block him from moving any closer to the hole. After Zoisite had risked his life to defeat the monster, the last thing she knew he would want was Endymion dying in an attempt to save him in return. It made more sense for her to go after Zoisite – she was a strong swimmer, and as a Mercurian, she possessed the ability to hold her breath underwater for a longer period of time than an Earthian. “I’ll rescue him.”</p><p>“Oh, do be careful, Hermione,” Serenity said as Hermione quickly unlaced her skates and took them off, the ice freezing underneath her feet.</p><p>“I will, Your Highness,” she promised. “Now you two need to get back on land. I don’t know how much longer the ice will stay solid.”</p><p>“Yes, of course. Come, Endymion.”</p><p>As Serenity guided a reluctant Endymion back toward the shore, Hermione drew in a large breath and dove headfirst into the hole.</p><p>The water was warmer than she expected – possibly an after-effect of her geyser attack – but still cold enough to be considered unpleasant. Hermione opened her eyes, unable to see anything more than darkness surrounding her. She tapped the jewel in the center of her tiara, the stone letting off a soft blue glow. It wasn’t much, but at least she could make out vague shapes and shadows.</p><p>One of those shapes was that of an adult human male. Hermione had to stop herself from gasping, covering her mouth with her hands to prevent any air from being released. He wasn’t moving at all, a trail of blood flowing from the cut on his arm. Hermione swam faster than she ever remembered swimming before, wrapping an arm around his chest from behind when she reached him and immediately kicking her legs to swim back to the surface.</p><p>Every second counted.</p><p>It still seemed too long when she broke through, her lungs burning as she gasped and inhaled fresh air. Using every bit of physical strength she possessed, Hermione pulled herself and Zoisite’s unconscious body out of the water.</p><p>The ice was still unstable, but fearing it would be too late if she waited to administer first aid until they reached land, Hermione laid Zoisite on his back and tilted up his chin, bringing her ear next to his mouth. As she suspected, he wasn’t breathing. Forcing herself to stay calm, Hermione pinched his nose and covered his mouth with her own, puffing five times before beginning chest compressions.</p><p>“Please, Lord Zoisite,” she begged. “Come on, keep fighting! You have to keep fighting.”</p><p>She alternated between breathing into his mouth and performing chest compressions, her hopes beginning to fade the longer it took him to respond. Tears began to burn in her eyes, but Hermione ignored them, refusing to give up even as she realized the odds of him regaining consciousness were becoming lower and lower with every compression.</p><p>It was near the end of the third round of compressions that Zoisite’s eyes finally opened. He violently coughed up some of the water he had inhaled, Hermione moving quickly to roll him onto his left side to allow him to expel whatever else was left. She tried wiping away a few tears that managed to escape, but as her gloves were still soaking wet, it was a pointless exercise.</p><p>“Her...mione?” His voice was small and weak as he tried to crane his neck to look back at her.</p><p>“You’re going to be okay, Lord Zoisite,” she said, rubbing his back.</p><p>Hermione looked around. They really did need to leave the ice, but Zoisite was in no condition to walk and she wasn’t sure if she had the strength to carry him a hundred feet to the shore without the extra burst of adrenaline to assist her like before. Noticing that Endymion and Serenity were standing right on the edge of the frozen lake, she first used her powers to refreeze the ice in the general vicinity, then waved for the Earthian prince.</p><p>“How is Zacharias?” Endymion asked as soon he skated his way over, kneeling down beside her.</p><p>Hermione, who had taken the opportunity to transform out of her wet uniform and back into her dress, managed what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “I’d like to give him a full examination back at the infirmary to be certain, but I think he’ll be fine after some rest, Your Highness,” she said, the prince visibly relieved. “I hate asking someone of your standing, but if you would –”</p><p>“Carry him?” Endymion once again took off his cape, using it to wrap around Zoisite’s shoulders before lifting him up, one arm under his back while the other went underneath his knees. “Princess Hermione?”</p><p>Hermione blinked. It was only for a brief moment, but she could have sworn she saw a golden light emanating from Endymion’s hands when he picked Zoisite up.</p><p>“Princess Hermione?” he repeated again when she made no move to follow him.</p><p>“Oh, sorry.” Hermione shook her head. She probably had only imagined it. After all, the prince wasn’t even transformed. “Forgive me, Your Highness. Let’s go.”</p><p>Zoisite was in no condition to ride back to the palace on his own, so it was decided they would ride in pairs on the stallions she and Serenity had ridden to the lake, leaving behind the two horses Zoisite and Prince Endymion had borrowed to be brought back later by some stablehands. After Hermione mounted her horse, Asklepios, Endymion assisted Zoisite as he climbed up behind her, Zoisite wrapping his arms securely around her waist.</p><p>“Will you be okay back there?” she asked as she steered Asklepios to follow after Serenity and Endymion, riding together on Moonbeam, the princess’s favorite steed. Hermione’s cheeks warmed, keenly aware of his chest pressing against her back, their bodies closer than they had ever been before.</p><p>“Yes, yes, I’ll be fine,” he assured her. “I’m feeling much better. Really, you all don’t have to make such a fuss over me.”</p><p>“I’ll be the judge of that. I intend to give you a thorough examination when we return to the palace.”</p><p>“Oh? If you wanted to see me naked again, all you needed to do was ask.”</p><p>“I-I... That’s <em>not</em> what –”</p><p>Zoisite let out a weak chuckle. He was teasing her again, yet it was rather half-hearted, not as flirtatious as his usual innuendos.</p><p>Perhaps that was to be expected after the ordeal he had just gone through.</p><p>They didn’t speak much after that; the rest of the ride back to the palace was spent in silence. Even Serenity and Endymion were quiet, though Hermione occasionally caught them sneaking kisses and tender caresses when they thought she wasn’t paying attention. It was a shame that their final night together had been ruined. When she and Serenity came up with the plan to go skating, neither one of them had ever expected something like this to happen.</p><p>Where had that ice demon come from, anyway? It had been months since a monster managed to breach the barrier surrounding the kingdom. Perhaps Bellona could divine some answers in her sacred fire. Hermione made a mental note to ask her when they returned.</p><p>As luck would have it, Bellona was already at the stables when they arrived, visiting her prized black stallion, Agni. She ran over when she spotted them, a confused look on her face as one of the stablehands helped a weakened Zoisite dismount Asklepios.</p><p>“Hermione, what happened?” she demanded to know, hand on her hip. “Where have you been?”</p><p>Hermione climbed down, giving Asklepios a couple of firm pets before handing off the reins to another stablehand. She then pulled Bellona aside, lowering her voice so that none of the stablehands could overhear and possibly start rumors.</p><p>“We’ve just returned from Lake Serenitatis. Some sort of ice monster attacked us while we were there, and Lord Zoisite was injured while we fought it.”</p><p>“A mon–” Bellona clapped a hand over her mouth, realizing she was speaking too loud. “A monster?” she whispered.</p><p>“Have you sensed anything recently? Received any visions?” Usually Bellona was able to predict when an attack was imminent.</p><p>“No, nothing.” Her brow furrowed. “To be honest, though, I’ve been having a difficult time performing fire readings as of late, ever since those strange sunspots appeared.”</p><p>“Has that ever happened before?”</p><p>“Every once in a while, I will have an off-day, but I’ve never gone this long without being able to do a reading before. I can try again tonight, though.”</p><p>“Please do,” Hermione said, reaching for Bellona’s arm. “Also, may I ask a favor? I need to attend to Lord Zoisite’s injury. Would you mind walking Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity back to their rooms and asking one of the prince’s guards to take over Lord Zoisite’s post for the rest of his shift?”</p><p>“Yes, of course.”</p><p>After leaving Bellona to escort Serenity and Endymion back to their respective bedchambers, Hermione took Zoisite to the infirmary, her arm wrapped around his waist as they made their way through the palace. He could still walk under his own power, for the most part, but his skin was pale from the loss of blood, and his body shivered underneath his soaking clothes. The sooner she could get him dry and patched up, the better.</p><p>“It’s so...clean,” he commented when they entered the deserted infirmary. “And white.”</p><p>Hermione guided him toward an empty bed closest to the fire. Though a part of her wanted to ask what Earthian hospitals were like, that something as essential and necessary as cleanliness was considered surprising, she had more important matters to attend to. “Sit down and take off your shirt and jacket,” she said. “I’ll prepare the supplies.”</p><p>She began boiling a pot of water over the fire as Zoisite stripped off his torn and bloody wet clothes. While her surgical tools sterilized, Hermione sat down beside him and began carefully cleaning the cut on his arm with a damp washcloth and mild soap.</p><p>“Hmm. It’s not as deep as I thought it was,” she said, surprised, yet relieved. The blood loss had made it look far worse than it was. “It’s a fairly clean cut, too. Still, it is best to suture it to be on the safe side.”</p><p>Zoisite sighed, holding out his left hand. “Fine, give me the booze.”</p><p>“Pardon?”</p><p>“I’m not going to let you sew my skin back together without something to dull the pain.”</p><p>She blinked. “You mean, you use alcohol for pain relief?”</p><p>“Yes, of course,” he said, giving her a quizzical look. “What else?”</p><p>Hermione smiled, standing back up after instructing him to hold the washcloth to the cut. “We have something much more effective than that.”</p><p>She thoroughly washed her hands, then pulled a jar of her best numbing agent from off the shelf on the far wall. Returning to the bed, she gathered a small amount of the numbing agent on the tip of her finger and began dabbing it around the immediate area of the wound, careful not to get any inside the cut itself.</p><p>“What is that?” Zoisite asked, watching her work.</p><p>“It’s called <em>e</em><em>iduravkdik</em>. It’s made with the extract of the <em>m</em><em>aersocaoa</em> tree, a plant native to Mars.”</p><p>“Yes, I think I read about it in your book.”</p><p>“Ingested internally, it can be fatal to humans, but as a topical analgesic, it is one of the best ways to relieve pain. See?” To demonstrate its effectiveness, Hermione lightly pinched his skin where she had applied the cream. “Did that hurt?”</p><p>His eyes widened. “No, not at all. I barely felt anything,” he said. “Amazing...”</p><p>Pleased, Hermione once again washed her hands, then retrieved her tools from the boiling pot. After drying them off with a clean towel, she returned to the bed and expertly threaded the needle before suturing Zoisite’s wound.</p><p>“You’re good at that. I’ve never seen such even stitching.”</p><p>“I’m hoping it won’t leave a scar,” she said. “It would be a shame if it did.”</p><p>“Because I’m so beautiful?”</p><p>Hermione paused, her cheeks warm as she glanced up from her work. “Something like that,” she admitted with a soft smile.</p><p>Zoisite, surprisingly bashful, glanced away and cleared his throat. “What do you know about the monster who attacked us?” he asked. “Have you ever fought one like that?”</p><p>She shook her head, turning her attention back to the stitches. “No, I’ve never seen that type before. I know nothing about it,” she said. “Forgive us for inviting you two so far from the city. Queen Serenity’s protective shield is weaker further away from the palace, although it is still rare for monsters to make their way through the shield at all.”</p><p>“Did anyone else know of your plans besides us four and Jadeite?”</p><p>“No, not to my knowledge.” Hermione frowned. “Do you believe it was sent to purposely attack us?” That, too, was unusual. The monsters she and the other Sailor Guardians fought were typically of low intelligence, acting on instinct rather than logic, yet the creature they had faced today had been focused and cunning in its attacks.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Zoisite said after a long pause. “Possibly.”</p><p>He went quiet after that, not revealing anything more.</p><p>Hermione finished stitching him up, then began wrapping his arm with a gauze bandage. “Thank you for helping to keep the monster in place long enough for me to attack, by the way,” she said. “It was reckless of you to go after it like that, though. If you hadn’t managed to block its blade, it likely would have slit your throat.”</p><p>“It’s fine,” he said with a bitter chuckle. “I wouldn’t have minded dying.”</p><p>His words took her aback. As a Sailor Guardian, Hermione was prepared to sacrifice her life to protect the royal family and the kingdom, but Zoisite spoke almost as if he <em>wanted</em> to die. Uncertain how to respond, she chose to say nothing, completing her wrapping in silence.</p><p>“There. That isn’t too tight, is it?”</p><p>He moved his arm around. “No, it feels fine.”</p><p>“Keep it wrapped and dry for the first day, but after that, clean it with mild soap at least once a day and dab some of this over the wound.” She walked back over to the shelf and pulled down another small jar, handing it to him. “It will prevent the cut from getting infected. You should be able to have the stitches taken out in about ten days.”</p><p>“Thanks. I appreciate it,” Zoisite said, standing up from his spot on the bed. “Not just for the medical assistance and rescuing me when I fell into the lake, but for...you know, everything. For helping me protect Prince Endymion and saving me when...when I was out of sorts.”</p><p>With everything that had happened, Hermione had almost forgotten that odd moment near the beginning of the battle when Zoisite had gone almost catatonic at the sight of one of the monster’s icicles flying toward him. “Do you often...go out of sorts?” she asked, using his turn of phrase.</p><p>“What?” He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “No, of course not,” he said, though he avoided meeting her eyes. “I skipped lunch and dinner today. That’s probably why. It’s nothing to be concerned about.”</p><p>Yet she was. If something like that happened again in the middle of battle... She shuddered to think what might happen to him, what almost <em>d</em><em>i</em><em>d</em> happen to him if she hadn’t managed to melt the icicle in time.</p><p>“Lord Zoisite, if you do suffer from the occasional...episode, it –”</p><p>His eyes narrowed. “What? Do you have some sort of cure for that, too?” Zoisite asked, no longer even trying to hide the bitterness in his voice.</p><p>“No.” She had read old accounts of soldiers experiencing symptoms of severe trauma after engaging in battle, but there was very little research in how to treat it, seeing as wars were rarely fought nowadays among the planets that made up the empire of Silver Millennium. “No, but...”</p><p>But...what? Maybe she <em>was</em> overstepping. Losing concentration because of hunger wasn’t unheard of. Perhaps Zoisite’s explanation was the truth. She had only known him for a couple of days – hardly enough time to know what he was going through.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I shouldn’t have made such assumptions.”</p><p>“No, it’s fine. I...” Sighing, he brought a hand to Hermione’s cheek. “Why do you concern yourself so much with me, Your Highness?” he asked, his voice soft. “We barely know each other.”</p><p>That was true. Hermione was tempted to brush it off as merely a doctor’s concern for her patient, but it went much deeper than that. When she saw him fall into the lake...</p><p>No, it was too illogical. She believed in love, knew it existed, but no one truly fell in love after knowing someone for little over a day. It made no sense. Hadn’t she just that morning scolded Serenity about that very thing when she had been under the mistaken impression that the princess had fallen in love with a near stranger?</p><p>Yet…</p><p>“But I <em>want</em> to know you,” Hermione admitted, looking upwards into his beautiful green eyes. She inched closer. “Lord Zoisite, I –”</p><p>Before she could finish her sentence, the door to the infirmary swung open, Ishtar entering without knocking.</p><p>“Hermione, what is this I hear about a mons–”</p><p>She stopped in her tracks, Hermione and Zoisite quickly separating.</p><p>Zoisite cleared his throat. “I was just leaving.” He grabbed his bloodied shirt from the bed and pulled it back on, leaving it unbuttoned as he folded his jacket over his uninjured arm. “Thank you again, Princess Hermione,” he said, bowing to her and giving Ishtar a nod of acknowledgement before leaving.</p><p>Ishtar closed the door behind him, arching an eyebrow when she turned back around to face Hermione, who suddenly became very interested in putting away her tools. “I wasn’t interrupting anything, was I?”</p><p>“N-No, of course not. Lord Zoisite was injured during the battle. I was only tending to his wound.”</p><p>Ishtar hummed, taking a seat on the bed Zoisite had vacated, but to Hermione’s relief, she didn’t pry any further into her relationship with the Earthian general, turning her attention back to more pressing matters. “Yes, the battle. Bellona told me Princess Serenity was attacked by a monster?”</p><p>“Along with Prince Endymion, yes,” Hermione said. “Lord Zoisite and I were able to exterminate it before any harm fell to either of them.”</p><p>“I’m glad to hear that, but what were you four even doing at Lake Serenitatis? You know the queen dislikes Serenity wandering too far from the palace without her full guard in attendance.”</p><p>“Yet it was fine for you to help her sneak off to Earth to meet with her forbidden love?” Hermione retorted, immediately bringing a hand to her mouth.</p><p>The accusation had slipped out without thought. Ishtar was the leader of Princess Serenity’s guardians. To speak to her so insolently... Hermione took a moment to compose herself, returning the jar of the numbing agent to its proper place on the shelf.</p><p>The expected reprimand never came, however, Ishtar letting out a heavy sigh. “So, Serenity confided in you about that.”</p><p>“Yes. She also told me that she’s in love with Prince Endymion and wants to marry him.” Hermione walked back over to the bed. “Ishtar, I don’t understand. Why would you encourage their relationship by helping her continue to see him? Why did you risk Serenity’s life by allowing her to sneak down to Earth?”</p><p>“I was with her the entire time. She wasn’t in any dan–” Ishtar shook her head. “No, you’re right,” she said, fiddling with one of the rings on her slender fingers – a beautiful cushion-cut pale pink stone set in gold. “It was stupid and dangerous, I know, I know. I tried to reason with her when I caught her sneaking off to Earth the first time, but she wouldn’t listen. You know how stubborn Serenity can be when she has her heart set on something. If I didn’t offer to help her see Endymion, I was afraid she would continue going off on her own. It seemed like the best idea at the time, and it also gave me –”</p><p>“What?” Hermione prodded when Ishtar stopped in the middle of her sentence, no longer playing with her ring.</p><p>“No, nothing. It’s nothing.” Ishtar mournfully smiled. “Besides, they truly are in love, Hermione. It’s the real deal. How could I possibly get in the way of that?”</p><p>Remembering how happy the two of them had seemed until the monster appeared and ruined the rest of their skating date, Hermione sighed. It wasn’t as if she didn’t understand the reasoning behind Ishtar’s actions. They all wanted their beloved princess to find everlasting happiness with the person she loved, but Hermione failed to see how that would be possible under the current laws.</p><p>“Be that as it may, the two of them will not be allowed to marry when Earth joins the alliance as expected,” Hermione said. “Princess Serenity has come to terms with it. She’s agreed to end her romantic relationship with Prince Endymion.”</p><p>“She has?”</p><p>“That’s why we were at the lake. It was meant to be a chance for her to say her final farewell to him, but then the monster attacked...”</p><p>“Tell me more about this monster,” Ishtar said, eyes narrowing. “I want to know everything. Don’t leave anything out.”</p><p>Hermione briefed her on the monster’s appearance and attacks and gave her a short summary of their battle, including how Prince Endymion had protected Princess Serenity while she and Zoisite fought and how Zoisite got injured while attacking the monster in a risky move from behind. When she finished, Ishtar frowned, rubbing her chin in deep thought.</p><p>“The monster’s apparent intelligence concerns me,” Ishtar said, “but not quite as much as how it broke through the shield in the first place.”</p><p>“It’s not an unknown occurrence, especially in the farther reaches of the kingdom.”</p><p>“Yes, but you also said it seemed to be targeting Princess Serenity.”</p><p>“And Prince Endymion,” Hermione reminded her.</p><p>“Are you certain about that?”</p><p>“Yes, of cour–”</p><p>Hermione paused mid-word, doubt planted in her mind by Ishtar’s question. When she thought back to the battle, the majority of the monster’s early attacks <em>had</em> been aimed in the direction of the prince and princess, but with the two of them sticking so close together, it was difficult to say with absolute certainty who the intended target was: Serenity, Endymion, or both of them.</p><p>“Actually, I’m not sure,” she admitted.</p><p>Ishtar slid off the bed and began pacing around the infirmary, muttering to herself as if Hermione wasn’t even there. Hermione only caught a word here and there whenever Ishtar walked past her, frowning when she heard Zoisite’s name.</p><p>“You don’t suspect the Earthians of having something to do with the attack, do you?” Hermione asked, Ishtar stopping her pacing.</p><p>“I... I don’t know.” Ishtar wrapped her arms around herself. “I don’t want to think that they’re behind it, that he would do something –” She shook her head. “We cannot rule out the possibility,” she said. “After all, what do we really know about the Earthians? We don’t even know what kind of powers Prince Endymion possesses. Did you see him use them at any point during the battle?”</p><p>“No.” As the carrier of a Sailor Crystal, Endymion theoretically should have been able to transform and attack, yet he had left the fighting to a normal human like Zoisite while shielding Serenity from the monster’s attacks. Hermione hadn’t thought much of it at the time, too focused on fighting, but she had to admit it was somewhat suspicious.</p><p>However, there <em>was</em> that mysterious glow of golden light she saw when Endymion touched Zoisite...</p><p>Hermione decided not to mention that part, still uncertain if it was only a figment of her imagination.</p><p>“I’ve heard rumors that the Golden Crystal may be equal in strength to Queen Serenity’s Silver Crystal,” Ishtar said. “If that’s true, then the Earthians may have plans to take over Silver Millennium.”</p><p>“But, Ishtar, you said it yourself that Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity are in love,” Hermione pointed out. “Why would he put Serenity and himself in danger by summoning a monster to attack them? And Bellona didn’t sense any evil intentions from any of the Earthians when they arrived.” As a highly-tuned spiritualist, the Martian princess was capable of “reading” people in a way Hermione would have considered absurd if it wasn’t so accurate.</p><p>“I don’t know.” Ishtargroaned, rubbing at her forehead. “Nothing about this makes any sense.” She walked back over to Hermione and placed her hands on Hermione's upper arms. “Listen, Hermione, I won’t order you to stop...associating with Lord Zoisite, but I do think it best to be on guard when you are around him,” she said. “Watch what you say, and let me know if you notice anything suspicious about him or any of the other members of the Earth delegation.”</p><p>“You have the wrong idea. Lord Zoisite and I –”</p><p>“Please. Just be careful, okay? Even if Lord Zoisite is innocent of having anything to do with the attack, he... Well, I don’t think he’s necessarily a bad person, but he’s not someone a girl like you should fall in love with. I don’t want to see you hurt.”</p><p>What was that supposed to mean? Ishtar barely knew Zoisite...unless she had discovered something about him from one of her secret visits to Earth with Serenity. Hermione wanted to ask more, but Ishtar released her hold on her arms, glancing at the clock on the fireplace mantle.</p><p>“I need to go,” Ishtar said. “It is almost time for my shift as Princess Serenity’s guard.” She squeezed one of Hermione’s hands. “Think about what I said, okay?”</p><p>“I-I will,” Hermione promised.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>DISCLAIMER: “Sailor Moon” doesn’t belong to me.</p><p>AUTHOR’S NOTES: I hope you enjoyed! Next chapter will be up tomorrow, along with the reveal of Rae’s artwork!</p><p>Feel free to follow me on Tumblr! My username is kaleidodreams.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After the previous day’s battle, Princess Serenity was confined to her rooms for her protection, forbidden from stepping foot outside the palace even when accompanied by one of her guardians. She was quiet during her morning lessons with Hermione, for once diligent and focused on her studies. Hermione suspected Serenity was trying her best to keep her mind off Endymion, who was expected to sign the treaty that would make Earth an official member of Silver Millennium later that afternoon, thus ending whatever small hope they had of being together.</p><p>When Zenobia came to relieve her at the end of the lessons, Hermione gave Serenity a long hug. She didn’t know what else to do or say, every sympathetic word that came to mind seeming trite and patronizing. After all, what did she know of heartbreak? Serenity wiped a tear from her cheek when they finally parted, but forced herself to smile when Hermione announced there would be no homework for the night.</p><p>As usual after Serenity’s lessons, Hermione had a couple of hours of free time. She ate a quick lunch of soup and bread, then headed to the secluded royal gardens, sitting underneath her favorite wisteria tree to read more of the book Zoisite had lent her. In an attempt to keep her mind off of the Earthian general after her conversation with Ishtar, she had stayed up almost half the night reading it, unable to put it down. She was enjoying it quite a bit, although some scenes were rather...explicit in nature.</p><p><em>Mariana firmly pushed Alexander down on the bed and climbed atop of him, </em><em>his desire for her evident through his trousers</em><em>. They n</em><em>eeded</em><em> to be quick about it. The king was due back at any moment. If his wife was caught in the arms of another man – an enemy soldier, no less! – she would </em><em>face certain death at the guillotine, yet </em><em>all</em> <em>reason abandoned her as Alexander kissed her again, long and hard, his </em><em>clever</em><em> fingers loosening the combs in her hair to let her scarlet tresses flow free down her back.</em><em> Her own fingers reached downward to release his cock from its prison.</em></p><p>
  <em> “My beautiful Mimi,” he murmured as he trailed wet kisses down her neck and chest, her heart thrilling at the sound of the name only he had the right to use. “Every night we are apart, my soul dies a little more. It kills me, to think of you in his bed, letting him touch you...letting him fuck you...”</em>
</p><p><em> “</em><em>I imagine he is you, every time.” </em><em>Mariana </em><em>g</em><em>asp</em><em>ed</em><em> as Alexander slipped inside her. </em><em>“It’s the only way I could bear it, I sw</em>–<em>”</em></p><p>"Ah, so you've already reached that part of the story," a masculine voice said, causing her to jump. "You are quite the speedy reader, Princess Hermione."</p><p>Hermione pressed the book to her chest and glanced around for the source of the voice. She thought she was alone in the gardens, but Zoisite had snuck up behind her, leaning against the trunk of the tree and looking over her shoulder.</p><p>"Lord Zoisite, you startled me," she said.</p><p>He straightened his posture. “Forgive me, that was not my intention.”</p><p>“No, it’s...it’s fine.” Hermione pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. “How are you feeling...after everything? Are you in any pain?”</p><p>Zoisite placed a hand on his arm, over the area where he had been injured during the battle. “It’s a little sore, but nothing I can’t handle. The ointment seems to be working well. No signs of infection,” he said. “Anyway, mind if I join you?” With his injured arm, Zoisite held up the botany book she had checked out for him from the palace library. “It seems we had the same idea.”</p><p>"Oh. Um, I don't mind."</p><p>To her surprise, Zoisite laid down on the grass, resting his head in her lap as he held his book up to read. Hermione's cheeks warmed at his over-familiarity with her, but she didn't object, turning her attention back to her novel as she absent-mindedly played with a strand of his loose hair.</p><p>
  
</p><p>They read in silent companionship until Zoisite closed his book and placed it on his stomach. Looking up at her, he asked, "Are you enjoying the story so far?"</p><p>"Yes, it's quite riveting. Mariana is a fascinating character, proud and determined to win back her family's crown, willing to do anything to achieve her goals even if it means ultimately destroying her soul…" She paused, thinking back on the scene she had been reading before Zoisite interrupted her. "It's, um, racier than I thought it would be, though"</p><p>He chuckled. "That's one of the author's tamer works, if you can believe it. In some more conservative areas of the Golden Kingdom, his books have been banned for indecency by local religious leaders."</p><p>"Banning books?" Hermione had never heard of such a concept before. It was contrary to the very core of Mercurian values. "How could they do such a thing?"</p><p>"I don't like the idea of censorship either," he said with a shrug, "but the king has more important issues on which to focus his attention."</p><p>"I see."</p><p>She would have to further investigate the matter. If what Zoisite said was true, then it would be prudent for the palace library to find copies of those banned books in order to protect them from being destroyed.</p><p>"What about the book I recommended? Do you like it?" Hermione asked, blushing when she realized how she sounded. "Not that I'm fishing for compliments…"</p><p>"Yes, it's an excellent read," he said. “I’m learning a lot about botanical life on the other planets.” Reaching for her hand, Zoisite kissed the inside of her wrist. "I must confess I'm more interested in the author than I am the subject, however."</p><p>She sucked in a sharp breath. "You are?"</p><p>Putting his book aside, Zoisite moved back to a sitting position and caressed the side of her face. "Very much so," he said in a low, soft voice before bringing his lips down to hers.</p><p>Hermione found herself melting into the kiss, her own book falling on her lap, forgotten, as she gave into the desire that had been building since that moment in his bedchambers.At the back of her mind, however, she heard Ishtar’s concerned voice, advising caution: <em>Well, I don’t think he’s necessarily a bad person, but he’s not someone a girl like you should fall in love with.</em></p><p>"Wait, we shouldn't do this," she said breathlessly, pulling back. "Um, I mean, isn't Lord Kunzite your current lover?"</p><p>"I sleep with him, yes, on occasion, but our relationship is nothing more than that. At least...not anymore. I am not one for romantic commitments." His eyes darkened, and he turned his face away from Hermione, drawing a knee to his chest. "I do not wish to leave anyone to cry for me when I die on the battlefield.</p><p>"The battlefield? But I thought an alliance with Silver Millennium was meant to discourage future uprisings against the Golden Kingdom."</p><p>"Wars will always exist, Princess Hermione. To think otherwise is a fantasy best left to fiction."</p><p>Hermione frowned. She wasn't sure she believed that. Her home planet Mercury had not engaged in warfare in well over two hundred years. Disagreements between opposing factions were settled by knowledge and diplomacy, and their military was mainly for show, more accustomed to playing strategy games than engaging in actual battle.</p><p>"That's a cynical point of view from somebody who seems to live such a hedonistic lifestyle." Her words came out sounding more judgmental than she intended, but Zoisite didn't take offense, chuckling.</p><p>"I've learned to enjoy the beauty of life while I can. I know better than most how it can end in an instant."</p><p>“Because of that scar on your shoulder?” she asked, regretting the question as soon as the words left her mouth.</p><p>“So, you noticed…” As if in a daze, Zoisite brought a hand to the shoulder in question, rubbing the area where the scar was located.</p><p>Hermione stared down at her lap, fingers curling around the spine of her book. “Forgive me, it’s not my place to pry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”</p><p>“No, I don’t mind,” he said softly, bringing his hand back down. “That scar is from a wound I received in battle a couple of years ago. We were attacking the stronghold of a rebel faction in retaliation for raiding one of our bases, but our intel had been compromised. The enemy’s forces were larger than we had been led to believe. My troops fought hard until Khalil could arrive with reinforcements, but...”</p><p>Zoisite closed his eyes, his Adam’s apple visibly bobbing as he swallowed.</p><p>“You don’t have to tell me what happened,” Hermione said, reaching over to place one of her hands over his, but he shook his head, continuing on with the story after he composed himself.</p><p>“I was shot in the shoulder by an arrow. The tip was laced with poison. I’m sure you know that it is generally best not to dislodge a weapon until proper medical attention can be given, but there was no time. If it wasn’t removed quickly, I would have died from the poison, so Khalil pulled it out, right there in the middle of the battlefield. It’s a miracle I didn’t bleed out before I could be taken to a healer. Sometimes, I wish I had.”</p><p>He said the last sentence in a voice barely above a whisper, his eyes darting to the side as he clenched his free hand into a fist.</p><p>“I never wanted to be a soldier,” he admitted. “As a child, I enjoyed books, music, and art, but I was born into a family that prided themselves on their military service. It was expected that I would follow in my father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. I was never given a choice.”</p><p>Hermione inhaled. She had never been given a choice either. Born possessing the Mercury Crystal, her destiny as a Sailor Guardian had been set from the start. She never resented her fate, proud to serve as one of the protectors of Silver Millennium, but there were moments when she wondered what it would be like to be a normal girl. To be able to devote her life to her studies and marry whomever she chose...</p><p>“My father and I... We had a complicated relationship.”</p><p>She took note of the use of the past tense. “Had?”</p><p>“He died a few days after my sixteenth birthday. Killed in yet another senseless battle. People called him a hero, said I should be proud that he died protecting the kingdom. And I was, at first.” He leaned back against the tree. “No matter our differences, he was still my father, and I loved him. I wanted him to be proud of me, too.”</p><p>“You didn’t think he was?”</p><p>Zoisite scoffed. “I was not the son he wanted. I wasn’t particularly strong or brave –”</p><p>“Not brave?” Hermione interrupted. “You would say that about yourself after yesterday’s battle? I dare say there are few humans who would have done what you did, attacking a supernatural demon in close-range with nothing more than a couple of daggers at hand.”</p><p>“And didn’t you scold me for doing so?” he reminded her, Hermione having the decency to blush. Zoisite lightly chuckled before turning serious once again. “No, what I did wasn’t brave. You were right the first time. It was stupid and reckless, yet I didn’t care.”</p><p>“I don’t understand.”</p><p>“No, I imagine you wouldn’t. I hope that you never do.”</p><p>She lightly squeezed his hand. “Lord Zoisite...”</p><p>"Zach, there you are."</p><p>The two of them looked up at the new arrival, another one of Prince Endymion's guard.</p><p>"What is it, Nico?" Zoisite asked, sounding annoyed as he discretely pulled his hand away from hers. "This is my free time."</p><p>"Not anymore," Nephrite said, arms crossed over his chest. "Lord Kunzite has called for an emergency meeting. Attendance is mandatory."</p><p>"It sounds important. You should go," Hermione urged Zoisite. She didn't want to distract him from his responsibilities. "It's almost time for me to report back to duty anyway."</p><p>"Right." Leaning over, his mouth next to her ear, he whispered, "Come to my room tonight. Ten o'clock." Zoisite then rose to his feet, sweeping the grass off the back of his uniform before picking up his book from the ground. He gave a respectful nod. "Until we meet again, Princess Hermione."</p><hr/><p>He never intended to tell Hermione so much about his past.</p><p>As he followed Nephrite back into the palace, down the halls he knew led to the wing where their bedchambers were located, Zoisite pulled his hair back into a ponytail and wondered what had gotten into him. He’d followed Hermione to the royal gardens with every intention of asking for her helpin translating a passage in her book that looked promising, having come to the conclusion that trying to translate Curian on his own was an exercise in futility, but that task had fallen to the wayside, his goal forgotten the moment he pressed his lips against hers.</p><p>He silently berated himself. He needed to control his emotions when it came to Hermione. Love was not an option, no matter how attractive he found her or how much he enjoyed her company. She was merely a tool for his investigation, that was all.</p><p>Zoisite pushed all thoughts of Hermione out of his mind, focusing back at the matter at hand. “Any idea why Kunzite wants to see us?” he asked, as Nephrite had yet to inform him what the meeting concerned.</p><p>“No, but I doubt it’s good news.” Nephrite frowned. “The stars have been silent ever since we stepped foot on the Moon. I cannot foretell what is to come. It makes me uneasy.”</p><p>Zoisite clenched his hands at his side. Nephrite’s talent as a star reader was unparalleled among Earth’s psychics, his skill to predict the future almost infallible. If something was interfering with his ability... Zoisite was no psychic himself, yet a sense of foreboding washed over him.</p><p>They arrived at Kunzite’s bedchambers a couple of minutes later, entering to the sight of Kunzite leaning against the mantle, staring down at the small fire burning below. The glow of the flame’s oranges and yellows reflected off his pale eyes. It wasn’t until Zoisite closed the door behind them that he glanced up, acknowledging their presence.</p><p>“Where’s Jadeite?” Zoisite asked, noticing that they were one short. “I thought this meeting was mandatory.”</p><p>“Guarding the prince while he is in conclave with Queen Serenity. I will brief him later.” Kunzite waved toward the plush velvet couch in the middle of the sitting room. “Take a seat.”</p><p>Zoisite and Nephrite exchanged a look before sitting down at opposite sides of the sofa.</p><p>Over by the fireplace, Kunzite reached for a small bell sitting on the mantle and rang it, its tone clear and beautiful. Zoisite was at first confused, wondering why he was calling for a servant, but then the room suddenly filled with a bright, blinding light. He shielded his eyes with his hand, only lowering it when the light faded away to reveal the figure of a young boy in white kneeling on one knee in the center of the room.</p><p>He was translucent, like a ghost.</p><p>“Helios, I apologize for calling upon you once again,” Kunzite said to the boy, whom Zoisite recognized as Elysion’s high priest, “but I thought it best that they hear it from you firsthand.”</p><p>“Khalil, what the hell is going on? What kind of sorcery is this?” Zoisite asked, unable to comprehend how Helios had made it to the Moon without the use of the teleportation pad.</p><p>Beside him, Nephrite appeared equally as shocked, staring at Helios with wide eyes. “Is he some sort of ghost? Apparition?”</p><p>“No, I am no ghost.” Helios’s soft, pre-pubescent voice echoed as if he was speaking from far away instead of only a few feet away from them. Rising to his feet, he continued, “I am performing what could be called ‘astral projection’. My body is physically in Elysion, but I am able to send my soul to other planes of existence through the aid of a beacon.” He nodded toward the bell in Kunzite’s hand, which Zoisite assumed was said ‘beacon’. “It is a power I have only recently acquired, and it takes a great deal of energy and focus to control, so I ask that you please leave any further questions until later.”</p><p>“Yes, there is no time to waste on unnecessary explanations at the moment,” Kunzite said, placing the bell back on the mantle before walking over to stand behind the sofa. “Helios, tell them what you told me the last time we spoke.”</p><p>The young priest closed his golden eyes and inhaled a deep breath to compose himself before announcing, “King Oberon’s health has taken a turn for the worst. He’s...dying. His doctor doesn’t believe he will make it through the night. It is only a matter of time.”</p><p>The news, though not entirely unexpected based on what he suspected, still managed to catch Zoisite off-guard. He clutched at the front of his jacket, his blood running cold.</p><p>“No...” Nephrite looked around the room. “This is some kind of sick joke, right?” he asked. “Dr. Caduceus said it was just exhaustion. When we left Elysion, his condition had stabilized. Otherwise, Prince Endymion never would have agreed to come to the Moon, alliance be damned!”</p><p>“Dr. Caduceus lied, Nephrite,” Kunzite said. “He was following the king’s orders. Zoisite overheard them talking about it right before we left. There was some suspicion that the king had been poisoned.”</p><p>Zoisite appreciated his use of “overheard” instead of the more accurate “deliberately eavesdropped”. If Nephrite found out the truth, Zoisite did not have the same trust in him that he had in Kunzite not to report his crime to the proper authorities.</p><p>“Poisoned?” Nephrite jumped up from the sofa. “And you didn’t think it was important to inform the rest of us?”</p><p>He had addressed the question to Zoisite, but Kunzite was the one who answered.</p><p>“I was the one who made the decision not to tell you and Jadeite. At the time, Zoisite believed the Lunarians might have been behind it, but we had no proof that His Majesty was even poisoned. If word got out that we suspected our soon-to-be-allies of trying to assassinate our king, the alliance would be put in jeopardy. I believed it best to keep things on a ‘need to know’ basis.”</p><p>“Jadeite and I ‘needed to know’, Kunzite. We <em>deserved</em> to know, damn it!” Nephrite yelled, swiping a small Venusian vase off the side table. The vase shattered as it made contact with the marble floor, Kunzite’s jaw tensing but otherwise not visibly reacting. “What about Prince Endymion? Does he know?”</p><p>“No,” Kunzite said after a short pause. “And we’re not going to tell him – at least not until the alliance has been finalized.”</p><p>Nephrite shook his head in disbelief. “What the hell? Kunzite, have you gone mad? You can’t possibly intend to keep this a secret from him. The king is dy–”</p><p>“There may still be a way to save the king,” Zoisite said, speaking up for the first time since Helios delivered the news.</p><p>“Did you find something during your investigation? Some kind of antidote?” Kunzite asked.</p><p>“No, but Princess Hermione has one of the greatest medical minds in the known universe. If anyone can cure King Oberon’s illness, then –”</p><p>“Weren’t you the one who suspected the Lunarians of poisoning the king in the first place?” Nephrite interrupted. “Now you want to run to one of them for help?”</p><p>“We can trust the princess.”</p><p>“On what basis? That you want to take her to bed?” Arms folded over his chest, Nephrite scoffed. “Forgive me if I don’t quite trust your judgement when you’re thinking with your dick.”</p><p>Zoisite surprised himself with his declaration. When had his relationship with Hermione grown to become one of trust when he had only been using her as a source of intel for his investigation? Yet he knew it in his heart to be true. She was a Sailor Guardian, a chosen soldier and protector, and if they asked, he knew Hermione would be more than willing to help save King Oberon’s life.</p><p>“Well, do you have any better ideas, Nephrite?” he shot back. “Or have you already given the king up for dead?”</p><p>Riled up by the accusation, Nephrite grabbed the front of Zoisite’s jacket and yanked him to his feet. Before any punches could be thrown, however, Kunzite reached for their shoulders and pulled them apart. “This is no time for one of your petty squabbles,” he said, his voice deep and booming. “Nicomedes, sit back down. You, too, Zacharias. Helios has not finished his report.”</p><p>Though tempted to argue, Zoisite knew better than to fight back when Kunzite was angry. There was a reason why Kunzite was the most feared of Endymion’s guard. While Nephrite was the most prone to losing his temper, even the bravest of soldiers would quiver in the wake of General Khalil Kunzite on the rare occasions he uncapped his rage. Zoisite did as he was told, plopping back down on the couch, arms crossed over his chest. A few seconds later, Nephrite followed suit, and Kunzite tersely nodded, signaling Helios to continue where he had left off.</p><p>“The Lunarians were not the ones behind the king’s poisoning,” Helios said. “An anti-Silver Millennium group calling themselves the Dark Kingdom claimed responsibility about an hour ago. They’re currently protesting outside the castle walls.”</p><p>“The Dark Kingdom? The first I’ve heard of it,” Nephrite said.</p><p>Zoisite hadn’t heard of it either, although there were always new rebel factions popping up, rising from the ashes of the old ones they managed to quell in a seemingly never-ending cycle.</p><p>“They are a new group, but they have already amassed a large number of followers in a short period of time – mostly citizens who disagree with the Golden Kingdom joining Silver Millennium. Their leader is the former Lady Beryl Morganite, the self-styled queen of this so-called ‘kingdom’,” Helios said.</p><p>“Lady Beryl?” Zoisite rubbed at his chin, the name familiar to him. “Wasn’t there talk a couple of years ago of a possible engagement between her and Prince Endymion until her family’s ties with one of the rebel factions was exposed and they were stripped of their lands and title?”</p><p>“Yes, there was.” Nephrite frowned. “What’s more, her family has been rumored for years to dabble in the occult.”</p><p>“Well, if the newest rumors are to be believed, this Queen Beryl”– Kunzite said her name like a sneer – “has aligned herself with a fearsome demon, one said to be a master of mind control, amongst other things.”</p><p>“It is likely that the king’s illness was caused by supernatural means,” Helios said. “That would explain why there was no trace of poison in either the wine or the king’s blood. It is doubtful that there is any medical cure.”</p><p>Which meant there was no point in asking Hermione for help.</p><p>“Then we return to Elysion with Endymion,” Zoisite said. “His Golden Crystal has healing pow–”</p><p>Kunzite placed a hand upon Zoisite’s shoulder. “Zacharias, Endymion already tried using the crystal to heal his father once before, remember? Right after His Majesty collapsed?”</p><p>Of course he hadn’t forgotten, but… “He can try again. Maybe if he…”</p><p>The sentence died away in his mouth, Zoisite knowing it was pointless. If the Golden Crystal’s healing power hadn’t worked before, the odds were low that it would suddenly have the ability to cure King Oberon now.</p><p>There was truly nothing more they could do to save him.</p><p>In front of them, the projection of Helios began flickering like the flame of a candle. “I am nearing my limit, Lord Kunzite,” he said, his voice sounding fainter than before. “Is there anything else you need?”</p><p>“No, that will be all for now. Thank you, Helios. I will call upon you again if necessary,” Kunzite said, the priest bowing before his image completely faded away.</p><p>Nephrite sighed. “So, what’s the plan? You don’t honestly expect us to remain here on the Moon, twiddling our thumbs, while our king is dying? If this Dark Kingdom is as big a threat as –”</p><p>“There is no change of plans,” Kunzite declared, cutting him off. “We will remain here until the alliance is formalized.”</p><p>Zoisite whipped his head back around. For once, he agreed with Nephrite. “You can’t be serious, Khalil! Prince Endymion’s father is dying –”</p><p>“I’m well aware of that!” Kunzite growled. At his side, his hands were clenched so tightly into fists, they were shaking. “I know Endymion would want to be there...”</p><p>“Then why?”</p><p>“Why do you think King Oberon ordered Dr. Caduceus to lie to Endymion?”</p><p>“Because of the importance of the alliance,” Zoisite said, “but that was only a theory –”</p><p>“No, that wasn’t the reason. At least, not the only reason,” Kunzite said. “The king sent Endymion to the Moon to protect him. To make certain the Golden Crystal remained out of the enemy’s reach.”</p><hr/><p>Hermione sat at her vanity, brushing her hair. A glance at the clock on the wall showed that it was nine fifty-three. She was supposed to meet Zoisite at his suite at ten o'clock, but she still hadn't decided if she was going to take him up on his invitation.</p><p>She wasn't naïve. Hermione knew exactly what he expected to happen if she came to his room so late in the evening, and it would be a lie to say she didn’t want it, too, her cheeks flushing in the reflection of the vanity mirror as she imagined what it would be like to be with Zoisite like that, to experience for real what she had only read about in the erotic novel he had lent her.</p><p>Yet the mystery behind the ice monster who had attacked them at the lake was still unsolved, no clue to be found as to how it had bypassed Queen Serenity’s shield or who might have sent it after them in the first place. Bellona’s fire reading still refused to provide any answers. Hermione’s intuition told her that Endymion and his guard were not behind the attack, but she was not one to rely on something as illogical as “gut feelings”. Just because she wanted to believe Zoisite was innocent didn’t make it true.</p><p>Besides, maybe Ishtar had been right to warn her not to get too involved with Zoisite. He had admitted himself that he had no desire for a romantic relationship, not wanting to leave behind a grieving lover when he died.</p><p>Hermione set her brush down on her vanity, letting out a sigh. It was a sad way to live, denying himself the chance to fall in love out of a fear of some inevitable death. She didn’t understand. The previous Lord Zoisite’s death during battle had obviously affected him deeply, but that didn’t mean he was doomed to follow in his father’s footsteps.</p><p>Then again, Zoisite seemed to hold little regard for his own life, Hermione recalling what he said in the infirmary after last night’s fight...</p><p>Making her decision, Hermione pulled a matching robe over her pale blue negligee and headed to the guest bedroom where Zoisite was staying. After looking around to make certain no one else was in the vicinity, she inhaled a deep breath and knocked on the door.</p><p>A disheveled Zoisite opened the door. He was partially undressed, his jacket off and his white shirt unbuttoned, and his hair flowed loose over his shoulders in untamed curls. Unfocused bloodshot eyes blinked until he recognized who she was. "Oh, Princess Hermione… It's you."</p><p>"Um, is everything okay, Lord Zoisite?" she asked, finding his appearance and behavior alarming. "Did I get the time wrong?" He hadn't been entertaining somebody else before she arrived, had he?</p><p>"No, it's fine. You're right on time. And, please, call me Zach. I think we are beyond such formalities at this point." With a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, he opened the door wider. "Please, come in."</p><p>Hermione entered the room, and after closing the door behind her, he greeted her with a kiss on her temple. "Would you like something to drink? I was about to pour myself a glass of wine before you knocked."</p><p>"Wine sounds lovely. Thank you, Lo—I mean, Zach."</p><p>Zoisite unstopped the decanter on top of a dresser and poured the red wine into two crystal goblets, handing one to Hermione. "This wine is considered one of Earth's finest, made from grapes that can only be grown in the vineyards of Elysion. Ridiculously expensive, of course, but well worth the price."</p><p>She took a sip, her eyes widening as the flavor coated her tongue. "Incredible! I've never tasted a wine so rich and complex."</p><p>"I'm glad you like it," he said, his smile looking more genuine than it had before. "I must confess I'm surprised you came, though."</p><p>She furrowed her brow. "You invited me."</p><p>"Yes, but I get the impression you are not the type of woman who usually jumps into bed with a man she just met."</p><p>He certainly got straight to the point, no beating around the bush.</p><p>"I'm not. This is my first time," she admitted, taking a larger drink from her glass before adding, "Ever."</p><p>The revelation that she was still a virgin rattled him, Zoisite almost choking on his wine. "Oh, I didn't realize."</p><p>"Is that a problem?"</p><p>"No, of course not," he said. "But are you certain you want me to take your virginity?"</p><p>She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, taking a seat on the edge of the mattress. "Unlike you Earthians, Mercurians place very little importance on the concept of virginity. Sex is simply a biological function intended for the main purpose of reproduction."</p><p>"Ah, so it is a child you want."</p><p>There was a hint of amusement in his voice, but Hermione shook her head. "I keep an accurate record of my cycles," she said. "According to my calculations, I am not due to ovulate for another eight days. There is only a small chance that conception would occur should we have sex tonight, accounting for random fluctuations in my fertile window."</p><p>He chuckled. "That is good to know, although I must admit, you and I would create a beautiful and intelligent child together." Taking her glass from her hands, Zoisite set it, along with his, on the nightstand before sitting down beside her on the bed. He cupped her head in between his hands, staring into her eyes. "You do understand that nothing will come of tonight?" he said in a soft voice, tracing his thumb across her bottom lip. "If you are holding out hope for some kind of relationship…"</p><p>No, a relationship was out of the question. Hermione had made her peace with that when she decided to accept his invitation to spend the night. "You were perfectly clear on that matter. I do not expect anything beyond one incredible night in your bed."</p><p>"Then I will do my best to meet your expectations."</p><p>Zoisite's hands moved down her neck to her shoulders. Slowly, he pulled down the sleeves of her silk robe until her arms were bare. Hermione shivered, unsure if it was due to nerves, a draft in the room, or a combination of both. He pressed his lips to the side of her neck, a sigh escaping from her mouth. Closing her eyes, she reveled in the sensation of Zoisite's kisses against her skin as he made his way up to her ear, every nerve in her body on alert.</p><p>Hermione placed her own palm against his chest, slipping her hand underneath his unbuttoned shirt until she felt a heartbeat. To her surprise, his heart was pounding almost as much as hers. She continued to push the fabric off his shoulders, Zoisite kissing her as he pulled his arms the rest of the way out of the sleeves and tossed the shirt aside.</p><p>His mouth tasted strongly of alcohol. It wasn’t necessarily unpleasant, but at the back of her mind, Hermione wondered how much he had imbibed, remembering his odd behavior when she first arrived. She pulled back, Zoisite giving her a confused look.</p><p>“Hermione, is something wrong? Do you want to stop?”</p><p>“Are you drunk?” she asked.</p><p>“I may have had a glass or two before you arrived,” he admitted with a shrug, Hermione reaching for her robe and standing back up. “Where are you going?”</p><p>“I’m sorry. I-I think it would be best if I left.”</p><p>Zoisite rose back to his feet as well, reaching for her hand. “Wait. Don’t go,” he said. “Please.”</p><p>She paused, turning her head back around. Her eyes met his, Hermione sensing a vulnerability in him that she had never seen before. “Lord Zoisite – Zach – did something happen?”</p><p>He released his grasp on her hand, glancing away. “No, it’s nothing. Forgive me.”</p><p>It wasn’t nothing. Something was obviously bothering him.</p><p>“You should go,” he said when Hermione made no move to leave. “I shouldn’t have asked you to come in the first place. You deserve better than to be just another notch on my bedpost.”</p><p>“Is... Is that all you’ve thought of me this whole time?” she asked, holding her robe against her chest. “As merely a sexual conquest?”</p><p>“Yes.” He sat back down on the bed and reached for one of the glasses on the nightstand, taking a large sip. “From the very start, I’ve been deceiving you,” he said, staring into the dark red liquid.</p><p>“I don’t believe you.” She didn’t say it in an accusatory way. It was merely a statement of fact.</p><p>Zoisite darkly chuckled, taking another drink. “For one so intelligent, you are quite naive to the ways of the world, Your Highness.” Hermione frowned at his switch back to formal address, but before she could refute his claim, he let out a weary sigh, setting the goblet back on the table and hanging his head. “I envy you that innocence.”</p><p>He sounded so...defeated.</p><p>Hermione set her robe back down on the bed beside him, then hesitantly reached out a hand before pulling back at the last moment, bringing the hand to her chest instead. Maybe it would be best to return back to her room, as had been her original intention.</p><p>Yet, something compelled her to stay.</p><p>Hermione moved to stand in front of him, Zoisite’s head still hanging low. She started to say his name, to encourage him to look up, but perhaps it was better that he didn’t. Already her heart was pounding against her ribcage, her hands trembling against the silky fabric of her negligee. She clenched them into fists at her side, closing her eyes as she breathed in and out. Once her heartbeat had slowed to a slightly more normal rhythm, Hermione brought her hands to her shoulders, slipping her fingers underneath the straps of her nightgown and pulling them downwards.</p><p>She let out a soft gasp as the fabric fell away from her breasts. The chill in the air meant her nipples were already hard, her skin covered in gooseflesh. Ignoring the temptation to cover back up, she instead finished pulling her arms through the straps and pushed the negligee down past her hips, the gown dropping into a puddle at her feet.</p><p>It was only then that Zoisite raised up his head, his eyes widening in surprise as they roamed up her nude body. “Princess Hermione?” he breathed when he reached her face.</p><p>She smoothed down her hair with her hands, uncertain of what else she should be doing. The urge to cross her arms over her breasts, to shield his view of the patch of curly blue hair between her legs, was strong, yet Hermione resisted, licking her suddenly dry lips as she stepped forward and kicked the negligee aside.</p><p>She brought her hand to the side of Zoisite’s face, lightly caressing his cheek. “I don’t know what happened,” she said, “but I don’t think you should be alone tonight. If I can bring you some comfort –”</p><p>He turned his face away. “I deserve no comfort.”</p><p>“Maybe not.” After all, she knew nothing of the weight on his shoulders. “I’m offering it, anyway. I don’t care if you initially approached me with impure motives. I know it wasn’t all a lie.”</p><p>“Hermione, stop –”</p><p>“It wasn’t,” she insisted. “I care about you, Zach. I know it is illogical, and I know I probably shouldn’t feel this way about you, but I do.” Smiling, Hermione reached for a loose curl, pushing it off his forehead as Zoisite once again looked up at her. “And I have a feeling you may feel the same way about me. Am I right?”</p><p>For a long moment, he didn’t say or do anything, simply continued staring up at her face. It unnerved her, Hermione acutely aware of her nudity. Was her body not to his liking? She was perhaps not as curvaceous as Zenobia or as beautiful as Ishtar, yet she never had cause to believe she wasn’t at least moderately attractive. She finally crossed her arms over her chest – as much to ward off the chill as to regain some sense of modesty – and turned her head to the side.</p><p>“Zach, please. If I truly have misjudged you, if you care nothing more for me than as a warm body to lie with, then –”</p><p>“No.” His voice was strangely hoarse. Zoisite slowly rose back to his feet and cupped his hand underneath Hermione’s chin, encouraging her to turn her face back toward him. When she did, the barest hint of a smile crossed his lips. “No,” he repeated in a slightly louder voice. “You’re not wrong. It wasn’t all a lie.”</p><p>And then he kissed her.</p><p>Softly, at first. His lips barely touched hers, brushing against her mouth in hesitant pecks. His hands wrapped around the sides of her neck as his kisses gradually became bolder, Hermione’s mouth opening to allow him entrance. She involuntarily moaned as he slipped his tongue inside, a warmth beginning to spread through her body, chasing away the chill of the room.</p><p>Hermione’s arms relaxed, her palms instead pressing against his pectoral muscles. He didn’t have much chest hair, what little hair he did have light and fine in texture. She lightly circled one of his nipples with the pad of her thumb, then let her fingers roam further downward, tracing the outline of his well-defined abdomen. Zoisite’s breath hitched at the back of his throat when she reached the waistline of his pants.</p><p>“Are you certain you still want to do this?” he asked.</p><p>Hermione didn’t answer with words, unbuckling his belt and dropping it on the floor. There was already a noticeable bulge in the front of his pants, Zoisite letting out a shaky breath as she rubbed him through the woolen fabric.</p><p>“Lay down,” he said after several firm strokes, gently pulling her hand away. “You must be cold. I’ll rekindle the fire.”</p><p>Hermione, following his request, took a seat on the neatly-made bed and scooted back until she was lying length-wise upon the mattress, her head resting against the goose down pillows. Feeling her heartbeat begin to race again as the realization of what she was about to do hit her, she drew in a couple of deep calming breaths and watched as Zoisite poked at the logs in the fireplace with the stoker. The scar on his shoulder once again caught her eye, Hermione’s heart aching now that she knew the painful story behind it.</p><p>When he finished bringing the fire back to life, he returned the stoker to its proper place and turned to face the bed. “God, you are beautiful,” he said, his eyes lingering over her nude body.</p><p>Hermione felt her skin go flush. “I want to see you, too.”</p><p>The corner of Zoisite’s mouth quirked into something of a smile. “As you wish, my lady.”</p><p>He moved to the side of the bed, Hermione turning her head to watch him as he stripped off his pants. She had seen him naked before, of course, but not in an aroused state. She sucked in a sharp breath at the sight, shamelessly staring.</p><p>Zoisite, once he had allowed her a good, long look, took a seat on the bed beside Hermione, placing his hands on either side of her head as he leaned over to kiss her once again. However, before he could, he let out a curse, sitting back up and gripping the bandage wrapped around his right arm.</p><p>Hermione gasped, sitting back up as well. “Are you okay?”</p><p>He hissed out a breath. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he said. “I just put too much weight on this arm. That salve you gave me works so well that I almost forgot it was injured.”</p><p>“Let me see.” She reached for his arm, unwrapping the bandage against his protests.</p><p>“I said I was fi–”</p><p>“One of the stiches might have broken. I need to check.”</p><p>But the stitches were fine, not a single one out of place. The cut appeared to be healing nicely. “Where are your supplies?” she asked, Zoisite jerking his head toward the nightstand. There was nothing on top besides the two glasses and a lamp, so she checked the drawer, locating the jar of ointment and some clean bandages. She dabbed some more of the salve around the wound, then rewrapped it, impulsively kissing the inside of his wrist when she finished.</p><p>Zoisite inhaled softly. “Do you do that with all your patients?” he asked.</p><p>She smiled. “Only the ones I really, really like.”</p><p>After scooting over to the other side of the bed, Hermione patted the empty spot beside her. “Here, lay down on your back,” she said. “It’s probably best if you don’t try to support yourself with that arm.”</p><p>“I can manage,” he said, though he still did as he was told, unprotesting when Hermione straddled his hips, leaning forward on her hands to kiss him.</p><p>“I said I was going to comfort you,” she said softly, pressing her forehead against his, “so let me take care of you tonight.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>DISCLAIMER: “Sailor Moon” doesn’t belong to me.</p><p>AUTHOR’S NOTES: I hope you enjoyed! The final chapter will be posted tomorrow.</p><p>Thank you again to Rae/Covenmouse for the artwork. Isn’t it PRETTY? Make sure to give her some love in the comments!</p><p>Feel free to follow me on Tumblr. My username is kaleidodreams.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione awoke the next morning in an unfamiliar bed. It took her a moment to remember she had spent the night in Zoisite's bedchambers, her bare skin tingling in memory of their lovemaking.</p>
<p>She turned her head to her left, smiling at the sight of him still sleeping beside her, his injured arm resting across her waist. He looked so peaceful that it seemed almost a shame to wake him, but she didn't want to leave without saying good-bye. Flipping over on her side, Hermione reached over to brush some of his hair off his forehead.</p>
<p>Zoisite's body jolted at her touch, his eyes popping open, but he visibly relaxed when he saw her face. "Hermione…"</p>
<p>"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," she said, propping herself up on her elbow.</p>
<p>He smiled. "No, I'm sorry. It's an occupational hazard, I suppose. A soldier must always be on guard, even in bed." He reached up, caressing the side of her face. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"</p>
<p>Hermione nodded.</p>
<p>"No regrets, then?"</p>
<p>"No regrets," she said. Even if it was only for one night, it was one of the most wonderful nights she ever experienced.</p>
<p>"Good." He twirled a strand of her short hair around his finger. "Damn, you are beautiful, even first thing in the morning."</p>
<p>Her cheeks warmed, but Hermione resisted her impulse to turn away in embarrassment, instead rather boldly placing her palm against his bare chest and sliding it downwards until her hand disappeared underneath the blanket. "You're not so bad-looking yourself," she said as Zoisite sucked in a sharp breath.</p>
<p>"I do believe I've been a bad influence on you, princess. Come here."</p>
<p>Zoisite pulled Hermione on top of him, his hands resting on her hips as she straddled him. Again, she had to fight against the urge to cover herself – it wasn't as if he hadn't seen everything already – gripping the headboard instead as he slipped inside her. She began rocking against him with little encouragement on his part, gasping as he sat up and brought his lips to her neck.</p>
<p>She was nearing climax when someone knocked on the door. "Who is that?" she asked, stopping what she was doing. It was too early for the maids to be delivering breakfast.</p>
<p>Beneath her, Zoisite sighed. "I don't know, but I should probably answer that," he said, gently pushing her off of him before reaching down for his discarded pants on the floor.</p>
<p>Hermione gathered the blanket around herself, covering her nudity. "What should I do? I can't be caught in your bed, Zach." The room provided few options for concealment. She could possibly squeeze into the wardrobe, but it would be a tight fit and there wasn't any ventilation.</p>
<p>"Hide under the blanket and pretend you're still asleep," he said as the uninvited visitor knocked once again, louder than the first time. "Don't worry. I'll get rid of them as fast as possible."</p>
<p>After buttoning his pants, Zoisite walked over to the door, and Hermione laid back down on the bed, pulling the blanket over her head so that her entire body was hidden from view. Her heart pounded when she heard him open the door and invite whoever it was – the voice sounded like a man – inside.</p>
<p>Was it Kunzite, wanting another carnal rendezvous with Zoisite? She knew Zoisite only considered his sexual relationship with the other general a casual affair, but it would no doubt be awkward for all parties involved if Kunzite realized she was currently laying naked in his lover's bed.</p>
<p>Taking in a couple of deep breaths to calm herself, Hermione strained to make out what the two men were discussing. Their voices were too low, however, for her to catch anything other than random words. She heard them mention Endymion's name a couple of times, and she thought Zoisite said something about the king, but that was it. At least she was reasonably sure that the other man wasn't Kunzite; his voice wasn't quite as deep as the white-haired general's.</p>
<p>Their conversation didn't last long before Hermione heard the door once again open and close, the guest presumably leaving the room. To be on the safe side, she remained hidden under the blanket until she felt the mattress shift underneath her and someone touched her back.</p>
<p>"He's gone," Zoisite said. "I don't think he suspected anything."</p>
<p>Hermione dragged the blanket downwards and sat back up, releasing a sigh of relief. "Good," she said, her eyes dropping down to the pale blue negligee Zoisite held in his lap. "Zach?"</p>
<p>"Here." He handed her the nightgown. "You should get dressed and return to your room before anybody realizes you're missing."</p>
<p>"Oh." She had hoped they would be able to resume where they left off before the unexpected interruption, but he was right. It probably was best if she snuck out while most of the palace was still asleep.</p>
<p>As she slipped the negligee over her head, Zoisite stood back up and silently gathered the rest of her things from the floor. Hermione frowned, confused as to why he seemed to be giving her the cold shoulder.</p>
<p>"Zach, is something wrong?" she asked, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and reaching for the robe he had placed beside her. "Did I do something to offend you?"</p>
<p>"What?" He looked at her with the same glassy-eyed expression Hermione remembered from the previous night when she first arrived at his bedchambers. "No, it's nothing," he said with a shake of his head. "Sorry, I just haven't completely woken up yet, that's all. I'm useless until I've had my first cup of coffee."</p>
<p>Zoisite chuckled, but there was nothing mirthful about the sound, his laughter ringing hollow and false. Even he seemed to realize the futility of his act, letting out a sigh as he combed his fingers through his tangled hair. "How much did you overhear?"</p>
<p>"Just now? Not much." She stood, crossing her arms to ward off the morning chill. "Who was it? Did he bring bad news?"</p>
<p>"You could say that," he said, pulling a fresh shirt out of the wardrobe and pushing his arms through the sleeves. "That was Julian, with a message from Khalil. There's trouble brewing in Elysion, so we will need to cut our visit short. We must return to Earth as soon as possible."</p>
<p>"Trouble? What kind of trouble?"</p>
<p>He shook his head. "I cannot tell you, Hermione. That is classified information."</p>
<p>"Oh. Yes, of course." She understood. With the signing of the treaty, their kingdoms were now considered allies, but that didn't mean there still weren't secrets to be kept by both sides. "Well, whatever the trouble is, I hope you will be able to take care of it swiftly and safely," Hermione said, unable to hide the small hitch in her voice as she held back a sudden threat of tears.</p>
<p>She was being ridiculous. One night – that was all it was ever supposed to be. Even after he admitted his feelings for her were real, he had never promised her anything more. She had accepted that, yet...</p>
<p>With a small, almost melancholic, smile on his face, Zoisite walked over Hermione and placed his hands on her upper arms, pressing his lips against her forehead in a chaste kiss. "Thank you for last night," he said, his voice barely louder than a whisper as he brushed back a tear that had managed to escape and roll down her cheek. "It will be a night I treasure, one I will do my best to never forget."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Everything he had fought for had been in vain.</p>
<p>After Hermione left to return to her own bedchambers, Zoisite closed the door behind her and staggered back to his bed, weak and light-headed. He had done his best to keep himself together in front of the princess after Jadeite had informed him of the news, but alone, the enormity of what had happened hit him like a punch to the gut.</p>
<p>He needed a drink.</p>
<p>With a shaking hand, he reached for one of the crystal glasses on his nightstand, still half-filled with wine from the night before. The wine had lost some of its rich taste overnight, but that didn’t stop him from gulping it down, finishing off the other glass as well.</p>
<p>It wasn’t enough. He needed more.</p>
<p>Zoisite stumbled over to the dresser, pulling the stopper out of the crystal decanter. He didn’t even bother with a glass, bringing it straight to his mouth as he drank what was left of the wine, which wasn’t much. Upon reaching the last drop, he violently swore, the decanter shattering when he threw it against the wall.</p>
<p>A sob ripped through his body, Zoisite collapsing to his knees as tears began rolling down his cheeks. He pressed his hand against his mouth, attempting to muffle his cries, but they were impossible to suppress, his body releasing every bit of pent-up emotion he had. His breath came in heaving gulps, making it feel like he was drowning on land.</p>
<p>He should have told Endymion the whole truth from the beginning. If he had confessed what he had overheard between King Oberon and Dr. Caduceus, maybe Endymion would have taken his warning that there was something suspicious about his father’s illness more seriously and canceled their visit to the Moon. He knew now that his initial misgivings about the Lunarians were incorrect, that Queen Beryl and her Dark Kingdom were the ones to blame, but at least Endymion would have been by his father’s side when he passed.</p>
<p>At least they would have had a chance to <em>fight</em>.</p>
<p>After a while, Zoisite stood back up, using his hands to wipe away the remnants of his tears, then walked over and kneeled down beside his bed.</p>
<p>He almost always kept his sword underneath his bed while sleeping, hidden but within easy reach should he be attacked in the middle of the night. He felt around until his fingers touched the metal of his elaborately decorated scabbard, rising back to his feet after grabbing it.</p>
<p>Zoisite drew his sword and tossed the scabbard aside. The steel blade glinted in the morning light coming from the window, his hand wrapped around the golden hilt that indicated his high standing in the Terran Army. He stared down at the sword and inhaled a shaky breath.</p>
<p>There was a part of him that wanted to point the tip of the sword at his stomach, to impale himself upon the blade with which he had used to spill so much blood. He knew it was common practice in the Far East states for soldiers to commit ritual suicide as a way to atone for their misdeeds. Pressing the pad of his thumb against the sharpened blade, Zoisite barely winced as it broke through his skin, a thin trail of blood dripping down his hand.</p>
<p>But no.</p>
<p>He was through being a coward.</p>
<p>The odds were against them, he knew. Kunzite had mentioned Beryl had aligned herself with a powerful demon, but nobody had realized just how strong Metallia’s powers were until a few hours ago, when the Dark Kingdom put their ultimate plan into action in the wake of King Oberon’s death. The demon’s influence had spread like wildfire across the planet, brainwashing Earth’s citizens into believing the king and Endymion were traitors, that they had betrayed the Golden Kingdom by joining the evil Queen Serenity’s Silver Millennium. Though Helios had done his best to try to defend Earth through the power of his prayers, without the aid of Endymion and his Golden Crystal, only Elysion had been completely protected from Metallia’s corruption – a shield that was only growing weaker by the moment.</p>
<p>If Elysion fell... Zoisite closed his eyes, swallowing as he tightened the grip on his sword.</p>
<p>He had always fought for the wrong reasons. For family honor. For his father’s approval. Only protecting Endymion had given him any sense of pride as a soldier, but it was different now.</p>
<p>Earth was his home, and he would be damned if he let some egotistical puppet queen and the demon pulling her strings destroy it without a fight.</p>
<p>Zoisite sheathed his sword back in his scabbard, pressing his lips against the polished zoisite stone embedded into the pommel of the hilt. He never considered himself a particularly pious man, yet he recited a prayer to the goddess Terra, asking for her protection in the battles to come. If such a goddess truly existed, they would surely need her help more than ever.</p>
<p>When he finished, Zoisite set the sword on the bed, then took a seat at the desk in front of the window. He needed to bathe and prepare for their return to Earth, but there was one more thing he had to do first.</p>
<p>He reached for a sheet of the provided stationary, a quill, and an almost full bottle of ink. Inhaling a deep breath, he dipped the tip of the quill into the black ink and began to write.</p>
<hr/>
<p>They all wore black.</p>
<p>No one else seemed to think anything of Prince Endymion and his guard’s dark attire, but the sight of them entering the teleportation chamber, two by two, followed by the prince, brought to mind the opening scene of the book Zoisite had lent her to read. In it, the main character Mariana had attended the funeral of her beloved father, everyone in attendance garbed in their finest black clothes.</p>
<p>Black was the color of mourning in Earthian culture.</p>
<p>It could be merely a coincidence. After all, Zoisite and the other guards were all wearing identical uniforms as usual. Hermione did not know if there was any special significance to the choice of uniform; for all she knew, they had simply felt like wearing the black ones. She doubted that, however, noticing a marked solemnity as the men parted to allow Prince Endymion to approach Queen Serenity at the bottom of the teleportation platform.</p>
<p>The princess was conspicuously absent, having found it too difficult to say good-bye.</p>
<p>“Your Majesty.” The prince bowed, the other four kneeling behind him in perfect unison. “We thank you for your generous hospitality. You have made us feel most welcome.”</p>
<p>“Yet you wish to leave so soon?” Queen Serenity asked. “I had several more celebrations planned in honor of Earth joining Silver Millennium. It would be a shame for you to miss them.”</p>
<p>“We must regretfully decline the invite. There are urgent matters that must be attended to back home.”</p>
<p>“Yes, of course. Perhaps another time, then.” The queen stepped forward, and, breaking with protocol, reached for Prince Endymion’s hands. “Give your father my well wishes. I look forward to meeting him in the future.”</p>
<p>“T-Thank you, Your Majesty,” the prince said, a noticeable hitch in his voice. “I will be certain to do so.”</p>
<p>As there was still some time left before the teleportation pad would be ready to launch, everyone then broke into smaller groups to say more personal goodbyes. Hermione’s eyes immediately found Zoisite’s from across the room.</p>
<p>He touched Kunzite's arm, the taller man leaning to his side so that Zoisite was able to whisper in his ear. After Kunzite nodded his understanding, Zoisite retrieved the book he had borrowed from the library from his trunk and walked over to join Hermione.</p>
<p>"Princess Hermione!" Zoisite gave her another one of those sad, fake smiles of his, acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary. "Here, I should return this to you," he said, handing the book over to her. "I wasn't able to finish it, but the parts I read were fascinating. Thank you again for checking it out for me."</p>
<p>"You're welcome," Hermione said. It was only then that she remembered the book she had been holding to her chest, having mostly forgotten about it while she focused on her observations of the Earth delegation. "Oh, here." She gave him back his own book. "Thank you for loaning it to me. It was quite…enlightening."</p>
<p>Zoisite flipped to the page marked by the red ribbon, frowning. "Did you not finish?"</p>
<p>"No, I still have a few more chapters left until the end."</p>
<p>He closed the book with a soft thud, staring at the cover for a long moment before holding it back out to her. "Then you should keep it. You haven't even reached the best part."</p>
<p>"Oh, no, I couldn't! It's from your private collection –"</p>
<p>He shrugged. "I can always purchase another copy back home. I insist you keep it," Zoisite said. "When you finish reading it, feel free to donate it to the palace library if you'd like."</p>
<p>Hermione hesitated but eventually relented, accepting back the erotic novel and placing it in the crook of her arm along with the library book. She recalled the conversation about censorship they had the previous day in the gardens; a book – no matter the nature of its contents – deserved to be protected. Besides, she had to admit there was a part of her that was curious to see how the story concluded, to discover if Mariana had gotten her revenge in the end.</p>
<p>She bowed her head. "Thank you, Lord Zoisite," she said, pushing back a strand of hair behind her ear before looking back up and lowering her voice. “Um, about this morning, the news you received... Did King Oberon pass –”</p>
<p>"Zoisite, we're leaving," Kunzite said in a sharp tone of voice, interrupting her. Jadeite and Nephrite were already climbing the stairs to the teleportation pad, Endymion exchanging some final words with the queen. "Finish saying your goodbyes."</p>
<p>"I'll be right there," Zoisite called out before turning his attention back to her. Some of the mask he'd been wearing slipped, his faux smile disappearing as he lifted his hand as if to cup her cheek. "Hermione…"</p>
<p>She sucked in a sharp breath, turning her head to the side. They had already said their private goodbyes that morning; this was only a formality, one they couldn’t allow to turn to sentimentality, no matter how much she longed to embrace him one more time. Zoisite, seeming to realize that as well, curled his gloved fingers into a fist and dropped his hand back to his side.</p>
<p>She didn't know if she was disappointed or relieved.</p>
<p>"Page 142," he said, Hermione blinking in confusion.</p>
<p>"Pardon?"</p>
<p>"You'll understand when you read it. I'm sorry."</p>
<p>"Zach?"</p>
<p>Zoisite shook his head. "I cannot explain more. I must rejoin the others," he said. "Goodbye, Princess Hermione."</p>
<p>"Goodbye, Lord Zoisite. Keep safe."</p>
<p>He gave her one final smile before turning around, Hermione watching his back as he followed the others up to the platform.</p>
<hr/>
<p>After the Earth delegation left for their home planet, Hermione returned to her bedchambers, books in hand. She set them down on her desk, side-by-side, and took a seat.</p>
<p>Page 142.</p>
<p>Zoisite hadn't said in which book the page number referred to, so Hermione reached for the book he had given her first and flipped to the page in question. Her eyes skimmed over the first few paragraphs, her cheeks going flush. The page fell in the middle of one of the most explicit sex scenes in the book, one that Hermione found very…arousing. She squirmed in her high-back chair, trying to ignore the tingling she felt between her legs.</p>
<p>"No, concentrate, Hermione," she berated herself, closing the book and setting it aside before she let herself get too invested in the sexy scene. Whatever clue or message Zoisite intended her to find was obviously not found in that book.</p>
<p>That left the library book, the scientific guide to medicinal herbs and poisons she had written with Zenobia’s assistance. Hermione frowned, her brow furrowed in confusion. Why would Zoisite want her to read a page in her own book? She picked up the book and turned to page 142, something slipping out from between the pages and fluttering to the floor at her feet.</p>
<p>"Oh!"</p>
<p>She reached down to retrieve the envelope, examining it as she sat back up. There was no name written on it, no seal engraved in the red wax to indicate who it was from. Was this what Zoisite had wanted her to read?</p>
<p>Curious, Hermione pulled a letter opener from the top drawer of her desk, using it to slide underneath the wax and break the seal. Inside was a single sheet of stationary, folded in half. She sat back in her chair and unfolded the paper, bringing a hand to her mouth as she read the elegant handwriting.</p>
<p>
  <em>Dearest Hermione,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> If this letter was to fall into the wrong hands, it could be considered an act of treason, but I cannot in good conscience leave here and stay silent. There is something I must tell you.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Perhaps I should have told you last night. There were several moments I almost caved, but I couldn’t believe it myself. No, I didn’t want to believe it. Even now I hold on to the hope that Khalil </em>
  <em>i</em>
  <em>s mistaken, but I know in my heart that it must be true.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Our king is dead – murdered by the leader of an anti-Silver Millennium faction that has recently gained much support with the citizenry. In the prince’s absence, the throne was seized by said leader, who has used demonic powers to gain control of most of the planet in record time.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> I do not know what will happen next, only that the treaty Prince Endymion signed is worth nothing in the eyes of this new Dark Kingdom. They will declare war on Queen Serenity and the rest of Silver Millennium; it is only a matter of time. My comrades and I have vowed to do everything in our power to prevent such a thing from happening, but I must confess, I have little faith that we will succeed. This Queen Beryl is backed by a powerful demon, one skilled in mind manipulation, and it is highly probable that we will fall prey to brain-washing. I shall do my best to resist, but…</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Hermione, if the next time we meet is on the battlefield, do not hesitate to kill me. I would much rather die at your hand than serve as a mindless slave to a false queen. Please, I realize this is a cruel request in light of the wonderful night we shared, but the Dark Kingdom needs to be stopped at all costs. You are a soldier, too. You must understand.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> And when it is all over… Do not cry for me, Hermione. Instead, remember the man who made love to you last night and smile, for he will finally be at peace.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> General Zacharias Zoisite</em>
</p>
<p>“No…”</p>
<p>Hermione reread the letter a second time, the sheet of paper shaking in her hands. She had suspected the Earthians’ sudden departure from the Moon might have something to do with King Oberon’s passing, but this... She had never imagined the trouble Zoisite mentioned that morning was something so dire. A mind-controlling demon? If the ice monster they fought at Lake Serenitatis was somehow related, then Queen Serenity needed to strengthen and secure the barrier surrounding the kingdom as soon as possible.</p>
<p>Still, Hermione remained seated, frozen in place.</p>
<p>
  <em>You are a soldier, too. You must understand.</em>
</p>
<p>Zoisite’s words from the letter echoed in her mind. No, she didn’t understand. Of course she comprehended the words themselves – though he had written the letter in his native Terran, she was familiar enough with the language that it was an easy translation for her – yet how could she possibly consider him her enemy? How could he even think to ask her to –</p>
<p>A tear rolled down her cheek, falling from her chin to Zoisite’s letter in her hands. It splattered over his signature, causing some of the ink to bleed and smudge. She set the paper down on her desk and swiped the palm of her hand over her cheek, but more tears soon followed against her will, her shoulders trembling as Hermione hid her face in her hands.</p>
<p>Zoisite was right. It was too cruel a request. Her hands were meant for healing, not killing. And to kill <em>him</em> in particular... She crumpled the letter in her fist, wishing she could tear it up and pretend she had never read it.</p>
<p>But that was impossible. Of course it was impossible.</p>
<p>She <em>was</em> a soldier. She had a sacred duty to protect the royal family and Silver Millennium from any and all threats, no matter her personal feelings. If what Zoisite feared became reality...then she had no choice but set her emotions aside and carry out her mission as a Sailor Guardian.</p>
<p>Hermione pressed her lips together, sniffling as she blotted her wet face with her handkerchief. No more tears. It wasn’t what he wanted. When she managed to get her emotions under control, she uncrumpled and smoothed out the letter as best she could, then folded it and placed it back in its original envelope to present to the queen and Ishtar.</p>
<p>She stood and threw back her shoulders, determined as she walked to the door.</p>
<p>It was time to prepare for war.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>DISCLAIMER: “Sailor Moon” doesn’t belong to me.</p>
<p>AUTHOR’S NOTES: I hope you enjoyed the story! Thanks again to Covenmouse, Kanadka, and everybody else at the Discord server who helped and encouraged me while writing this fic.</p>
<p>Feel free to follow me on Tumblr. My username is kaleidodreams.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>DISCLAIMER: “Sailor Moon” doesn’t belong to me.</p><p>AUTHOR’S NOTE: I hope you enjoyed the start of the story! This fic was written for the Senshi x Shitennou Mini Bang 2020 and will feature a piece of beautiful artwork from the talented Rae/covenmouse, to be revealed in Chapter Six. Chapter Two will be posted tomorrow!</p><p>Thank you to my fantastic beta, Kanadka, and also to Charlie and Nelwyn, who helped me out a lot with this chapter in particular when I was freaking out about how terrible it was and wanted to drop the story altogether. I really appreciate it!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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